Paradise Hills Movie Review (2019)
A fantasy thriller about a woman who has been sent to an island for rehabilitation to become her perfect self, Paradise Hills has an odd narrative and little depth.
Awkwafina has had a fascinating career. She is one of those actors who shot to stardom seemingly very quickly, and has lots of incredible films under her belt. The Farewell, Jumanji: The Next Level, and Crazy Rich Asians are the first that come to mind, but there are many. That said, they can’t all be winners.
Paradise Hills is a movie about Uma, a young woman who is opposed to her impending arranged marriage and sent, against her will, to an island rehab to teach her to be docile and obedient. She quickly meets the famous singer Amarna, as well as her roommates, Yu and Chloe. Run by the Duchess, all of the young women are expected to wear a white dress, eat and drink as prescribed, and participate in odd activities.
This young adult drama feels like a mix between The Descendants films, Alice In Wonderland’s Queen of Hearts, and pieces of Return To Oz, but all under a rain cloud. There is an intentional feeling of ominousness throughout the film, even with the colorful flowers and the unique clothing.
Uma (played by Emma Roberts) is wary of everything, but quickly attaches herself to Amarna. They first meet in a cave, both appearing to be rebels, but that is all they seem to have in common. Their bond literally comes out of nowhere and it feels unbelievably contrived.
Chloe and Yu (Danielle Macdonald and Awkwafina) are much more likeable and have bits of personalities and backstories, but not a lot of screen time. The main thing that you learn about Uma is that she misses her father who has passed away. She has a very cool “memory necklace” that she can open to show her running into her father’s arms as a young girl, and it is the one item of real interest for the audience.
While you do wonder where the story is going, the biggest issue that I found is that you really don’t care about any of the characters or how the movie will end. There is no depth, very little humor, and very little charm. Anytime there is a momentary twinge of feeling or actual curiosity, it is in relation to Chloe or Yu.
The message of the film is that you should not have to be who others want you to be, just be yourself. Chloe should not have to lose weight, and Amarna shouldn’t have to sing what others want. A great message, just not a great vehicle for communicating it.
Paradise Hills is a fairly uninspiring and odd movie about being comfortable in the skin you are in. There were several times when I found myself laughing out loud, but this is not a comedy. That wasn’t supposed to happen. I’m a little surprised that Awkwafina was in this film during the same year as The Farewell, but no judgement for the choice. A girl’s gotta eat.
Runtime: 94 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: TV-14
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? No
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 2/5 Stars
Available: Free for Amazon Prime members and on Hulu, to rent on Prime Video, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
