After a year filled with anticipation and high expectations, Sydney Sweeney’s latest Netflix project aimed to solidify her status as one of Hollywood’s acclaimed stars. Yet, despite a talented cast and the backing of a major streaming platform, the R-rated film has failed to impress critics. Coming on the heels of two previous underwhelming releases this year, Sweeney faces another critical setback, with reviewers largely dismissing the film’s narrative and signaling a challenging period in her otherwise ascending career.

The film, which premiered at TIFF in 2024 before its theatrical release a few months ago, appears to have left critics far less impressed than hoped.

Sydney Sweeney, Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby, and Daniel Brühl starrer Eden, which had its Toronto International Film Festival premiere in September 2024 and was released in cinemas in August 2025, arrived on Netflix on Tuesday, December 23, leaving the critics highly disappointed. Film pundits contributing to publications such as The Wall Street Journal, AP, and Vulture sounded their discontent with the title and did not mince their words in doing so.

“It is nothing more than what it appears to be on the surface — an elongated and extra-campy episode of Survivor, with the important caveat that since there's no reason to care who wins, there is no reason to watch,” wrote The Wall Street Journal, with AP giving it a rating of 2.5 out of 4.

“In the midst of the film’s crafted chaos, the story inevitably loses focus,” the latter outlet said alongside its mediocre score for Eden, Sweeney’s third flop of the year following Christy and Echo Valley.

“The pressures of the untamed setting, combined with the inability of these characters to ever trust each other, result in an over-the-top melodrama that gets loopier as it goes on,” said Vulture about Eden, while IndieWire assigned the film a B grade. The criticism of the film is clearly due to its ineffective plot.

Sydney Sweeney’s Off-Screen Empire: Beauty, Scripts & Big Deals

Eden is based on the true story of a handful of European settlers who arrived on an isolated island in hopes of starting a new life.

Set in the 1930s, Eden follows a group of Europeans who leave their old lives behind to build a perfect society on Floreana Island in the Galápagos. Led by Dr. Friedrich Ritter and his wife Dore, the settlers soon discover that living in paradise is not as simple as they imagined. Conflicts, secrets, and jealousy take hold, turning their dream into a dangerous game of rivalry and betrayal.

Ultimately, despite consecutive critical duds, Sydney Sweeney shows no signs of slowing down. While Eden struggles to find its footing with reviewers, the actress remains in high demand, with a major turn awaiting her in the upcoming season of Euphoria. Her career, though momentarily buffeted by underwhelming releases, continues to thrive, highlighting her appeal in Hollywood. For Sweeney, setbacks like Eden may sting, but they are unlikely to derail a trajectory that keeps her firmly in the spotlight.

What do you think of the critical reviews that Eden has received so far? Let us know in the comments.