The East

Synopsis: A successful operative for an elite private intelligence firm is tasked with infiltrating an anarchist group known for executing covert attacks upon major corporations.
Director(s): Zal Batmanglij
Production: Fox Searchlight Pictures
  1 win & 7 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.8
Metacritic:
68
Rotten Tomatoes:
74%
PG-13
Year:
2013
116 min
$1,600,000
Website
961 Views


(DEEP BREATHING)

IZZY:
It's easy when

it's not your home...

easy when it's not your life.

The place where you sleep.

Your kids, your wife.

But when it's your fault...

...it shouldn't be so easy

to sleep at night.

Especially when we

know where you live.

Barry Redmond,

CEO of Lorex Oil.

2641 River Rock Road,

East Hampton.

You dumped fifteen million barrels

of crude into the Atlantic.

We don't care how rich you are.

We want all those

who are guilty

to experience the

terror of their crimes.

Because it shouldn't be so

easy to get away with murder.

Lie to us...

we'll lie to you.

Spy on us...

We'll spy on you.

Poison our habitat...

...we'll poison yours.

We are The East and this

is just the beginning.

We will counterattack

three corporations...

...in the next six months for

their worldwide terrorism.

(ALARM CLOCK BEEPING)

No matter what happens today,

you're still a winner to me.

I'm only a winner if I get it.

Your mysterious assignment.

I think I knew more about you

when you worked for the FBI.

Want to meet at Clyde's after

work and watch the game?

You're on.

Wish me luck.

(INHALING DEEPLY)

(OPERATIC MUSIC PLAYING

ON RADIO)

FEMALE ANNOUNCER OVER RADIO:

Serving the nation's capital,

you're listening to

Washington D.C.'s...

...premier Christian radio.

(BEEPING) Hello, Jane.

Good to see you.

Good morning.

(TALKING INDISTINCTLY)

(PEOPLE TALKING INDISTINCTLY)

MAN:
Jane?

Sharon's ready for you.

(BEEPING)

Who would you choose?

Me.

I'm unexpected.

Being unexpected is the only

advantage that matters.

But you chose Tom.

Why do you say that?

He's your last interview.

You remind me of

myself at your age.

Smart enough for it

to be a disadvantage.

You haven't failed at

anything yet... not really.

That kind of arrogance is dangerous.

They'd smell it on you.

I've been researching this field

exclusively for nine months.

You had a goldfish as a kid?

Hmm?

Sure. Mmm. You remember

taking it home?

You had to float the bag

in the aquarium...

...gradually letting the

water in little by little,

so the fish can adjust.

Okay.

Don't follow your ego

out of the bag early.

That's how you end up dead.

You put your first choice

in the middle.

Because to put it last

is expected.

MAN ON TV:
Talk to your doctor to

see if Denoxin is right for you.

Be sure to ask about

the free trial offer.

FEMALE NEWSREADER:

Oil tycoon Barry Redmond

is the latest

high-profile CEO...

...to be targeted by the

eco-terrorist group, The East.

Redmond announced

he is taking...

...a leave of absence to spend

time with his family, pending...

(INHALES SHARPLY)

FEMALE ANNOUNCER: Welcome to Washington

Dulles International Airport.

Um, I was thinking maybe when

you get back from Dubai...

...maybe you and I...

Tim?

Can we just see if I can

pull this off first?

Yeah.

I'm going to miss you.

(CLEARS THROAT)

Text me when you land?

(ANNOUNCER CONTINUES OVER PA)

MALE ANNOUNCER:
This is

the final boarding call

for Emirates

flight 2046 to Dubai...

...at gate D-30.

Final boarding call

for flight 2046 to Dubai.

SHARON:

Hiller Brood is the top...

...private intelligence

firm in the world.

Anti-corporate terrorism

is all about risk.

Our job is to assess

that risk for you.

Are you dealing with a fly'?

It's harmless, easily swatted.

Or is it a mosquito?

Can it draw blood?

Or... is the threat

the black widow?

Sending you to the hospital,

crashing your stock.

Let's say it's a fly.

You deal with it internally.

Mosquito, our operative

handles it...

...neutralizing the threat.

Now...

...if it's

the black widow...

...we'll have to see.

We can extract our operative,

liaise with the FBI

and leave no trace.

Gentlemen, we are in thirty-two

countries, protecting your good names.

Which is why it is essential

very few have ever

heard of ours.

SARAH:
Please give me

the strength to do well.

To not be arrogant.

But to not be weak.

Amen.

(PHONE RINGING)

SARAH:
Hi. Checking in.

JIM:
Where are you?

Delaware Seashore State Park.

I've been sleeping here.

How'd you get there?

Rideshares off Craigslist.

Smart. Any luck?

No. Building confidence.

Meeting dropouts,

counterculture types, freegans.

Have fun.

(CAMERA CLICKS)

(CAMERA CLICKS)

SARAH:
You get any matches

on the pictures I sent you?

JIM:
Just dead ends.

If any of these kids are part

of The East, someone's been...

...covering their

online footprint.

I haven't met anyone even

close to that sophisticated.

What about Trevor Landen?

Served a year for

ski resort vandalism.

Facebook links him to the

Katrina Anarchist Kitchen.

Oh.

I saw him again last night.

He mentioned

hopping to Pittsburgh.

I'll check him out.

FEMALE NEWSREADER: Anti-corporate

activism initially surfaced

with groups like

Earth First!...

...but now more radical

cells, like The East...

(TRAIN HONKING)

It's picking up speed.

I'm looking for The East tag.

GIRL:
I've heard folks from The

East hop out in Pittsburgh.

I heard The East doesn't exist.

(COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYING)

(SINGING)

Said I ain't no doctor

Ain't no doctor's son

Said I ain't no doctor

Ain't no doctor's son

But I'll cling to him

Until the doctor come

(LOUD RATTLING)

Everybody out!

Move it now!

Let's go! Get up!

Move it, move it.

Come on.

Move! Let's go!

Get off my train!

Let's go.

That means you, too,

you dirty queer!

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Zal Batmanglij

Zal Batmanglij (born 1981) is an American film director and screenwriter. He directed and co-wrote the 2011 film Sound of My Voice and the 2013 film The East, both of which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, as well as the Netflix series The OA, which debuted in 2016. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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