The Defiant Young Lady's Tale: "Paradise Hills" more dazzling to look at than to get lost in

Paradise Hills (2019)

95 min.

Release Date: October 25, 2019 (Limited)

There’s not quite enough to grab onto in “Paradise Hills,” a visually audacious and imaginatively designed dystopian sci-fi fantasy from first-time director Alice Waddington and screenwriters Brian DeLeeuw (2015’s “Some Kind of Hate”) and Nacho Vigalondo (2017’s “Colossal”). One could argue that the style here is the substance, but it’s a thematically blunt and less-interesting variation on “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “The Stepford Wives" that wants to say something about gender equality and the haves and have-nots. Defiant against a forced marriage with an "upper," "lower" Uma (Emma Roberts) is sent to Paradise Hills, a finishing school for young women on a seemingly idyllic island. The lush paradise is run by The Duchess, who’s played by Milla Jovovich, so we know everything is a façade for something quite sinister. Roberts leads a strong cast of appealing up-and-coming actresses, including Danielle Macdonald, Awkwafina, and Eiza González. The fairy-tale world of “Paradise Hills” is intoxicating to look at with its colorful, ornate costume and production design, but despite some bizarre plot developments, the story is inevitable in its trajectory and just not as as compelling as one would hope.

Grade: C +