Spy on us, we’ll spy on you.|May. 31, 2013|United Kingdom | United States|116 Min.|PG-13
Genre: Drama;Thriller
Description: The East, released in 2013, follows Jane, a private intelligence operative played by Brit Marling, who is tasked by her employer, Sharon (Patricia Clarkson), to infiltrate The East—a radical activist group focused on environmental and anarchist causes. Assuming the alias Sarah, Jane integrates herself into the group by traveling with drifters and eventually gaining access to their hidden base in the woods. There, she encounters key members like Luca (Shiloh Fernandez), Doc (Toby Kebbell), and the enigmatic Benji (Alexander Skarsgård).
As Sarah becomes more involved in The East’s operations, she participates in their “jams”—direct actions targeting corporations for their environmental crimes. One such mission exposes the dangerous side effects of a pharmaceutical company’s drug, leading to a public outcry. Sarah’s moral compass is tested as she grows closer to the group, particularly Benji, and begins to question her role in undermining their cause.
The plot intensifies when Izzy (Elliot Page), a member whose father is a petrochemical CEO, is fatally wounded during an operation gone wrong. Sarah’s efforts to save Izzy highlight her internal conflict and the risks of her double life. The film explores themes of loyalty, morality, and the consequences of activism in a complex and thought-provoking narrative.
Cast director: Jennifer Carriere
Cast actor: Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgård, Elliot Page, Toby Kebbell, Shiloh Fernandez, Aldis Hodge, Danielle Macdonald, Hillary Baack, Patricia Clarkson, Julia Ormond
Original name: The East