"“A graphic and disturbing tale of finding hope and inspiration in the most callous and torturous of circumstances...”"

Based on an incredible true story, Megan Griffiths' Eden tells the story of a young girl enslaved by human traffickers, in a graphic and disturbing tale of finding hope and inspiration in the most callous and torturous of circumstances.

Jamie Chung plays a young Korean-American girl, who works part time at her parents restaurant. One evening when she heads out to a local bar, she is picked up by a handsome fireman, though soon learns that he had been undercover, working as a barbaric headhunter for a domestic human trafficking ring, who passes this innocent young girl over to Bob Gault (Beau Bridges) and Vaughn (Matt O'Leary), who trap her away and name her Eden. In a desperate attempt to escape, Eden decides that her best route out of this deranged establishment, is to join forces with her captors.

There is a terribly tense and foreboding atmosphere prevalent in this production, as you continuously fear the worst. There is a harrowing sense of infinity to this, as you struggle to fathom a route out of this hellish environment for Eden or any of the other girls imprisoned within it. It's also somewhat chilling as we only see events unravel through Eden's eyes, whereas each individual character in there has their own, personal and horrendous story, adding a haunting sense of perspective and scare to proceedings.

There is a similar feel to Eden that there is to Jennifer Lynch's Chained, in that it's a low-budget, immensely bleak piece about being locked away against your will. Another picture this shares similarities to is Shawshank Redemption (bear with me), in how the escape route is formulated. The idea of keeping your enemies close and rising through the ranks to get away in the long term is constructed intelligently.

Meanwhile the performances are impressive, particularly O'Leary who portrays a well crafted character in the evil yet remarkably sympathetic Vaughn. It's a wonderful testament to the actor that we feel empathy for a role capable of such obscene acts. Meanwhile he has an eccentricity to him and unpredictability that allows for us to believe in his nasty streak. Chung is also wonderful, taking on a really challenging role for the young actress, as she appears in almost every scene. It's a big gamble to take on such a part so early on in her career, but she should reap the benefits as a result, hopefully earning a few roles off the back of this performance. There could be an accusation that she is portraying the character somewhat placidly,  yet it suits the character at hand, given how much this sexual abuse will have taken its roll on this poor youngster.

Finally, Griffiths must be commended for remaining so faithful to the original story, particularly in regards to the villains. So often in Hollywood films such as this the antagonists are portrayed by Eastern Europeans or Asians, and yet in this they're American – and not only are they American, but both Bob and Vaughn are law enforcers and ex-soldiers, respectively. This brave move is just a mere symbol of a film that is honest and realistic, and certainly one to catch if you can.