Welcome to Eden – Netflix Review

WELCOME TO EDEN on Netflix is a new thriller series from Spain. The target demographic is definitely in the younger age range. Mainly the teen and young adult segment. In other words, yes, I felt old when watching this series. Read our full Welcome to Eden season 1 review here!

WELCOME TO EDEN is a new Netflix series from Spain (org. title Bienvenidos a Edén). This is a thriller and action series that has elements of sci-fi and cult plots along the way. Basically, it has a lot going for it. On paper, anyway.

In reality, this series feels tailormade for a very young demographic. The kind who wants to party all the time and loves watching other people party. At least that’s what most of episode 1 revolves around and it made me feel very old. Actually, I never liked to party like they do in this series. It does get better as we delve into the core plot, but good Lord, the party thing takes up so much time at first.

Continue reading our Welcome to Eden season 1 review below. The season has 8 episodes and they’re all out on Netflix from May 6, 2022.

Too young to reason!

One of my all-time favorite song lyrics are from Bryan Ferry’s “Slave to Love”. The specific lyrics are “Too young to reason, Too grown up to dream” and I feel like I can relate to this at any age. Somehow, someone will always think you’re too young to know best. At the same time, you’re also very quickly too old to dream about things that aren’t easily obtained.

In Welcome to Eden, carefully selected (by way of their social media accounts) young people are suddenly contacted. They receive a text message with the question “Are you happy?” which is an intriguing beginning.

These young people are then promised something that will make them happy. When this turns out to be an invitation to the “most exclusive party in history on a secret island, organized by the brand of a new drink”, this Netflix series has already lost me.

Please, if you’re not happy, then being around lots of drunk people on some faraway island isn’t the cure. That’s heading into substance abuse to cover your pain. And fast!

Basically, the teens in this series really are too young to reason.

Party the pain away

It feels like this series was written by adults who figure that this is what the silly young kids of today want. Just because they still dream about going to Paradise Hotel themselves. Am I being too harsh?! Based on the storyline in Welcome to Eden, I don’t think so.

However, obviously, this Spanish-language Netflix series isn’t just about partying. It’s also about being handpicked for a special new life (*cough* in a cult *cough*) and falling in love. Yeah, I’m not really impressed by any aspect of the plot. Especially because the girl we follow, Zoa, leaves her 15-year-old little sister on her own as she goes to find happiness at a party island.

Just after receiving the news that her mom is yet again out of rehab and ready to be a parent. So, the responsible (somewhat and supposedly, anyway) older sister, who has a mom with serious addiction issues, abandons all to go party?!

Yeah, I don’t think so. While plenty of kids, who have parents with addiction issues, do end up having the same battles, they begin by introducing Zoa as being different. To be clear, I have no issue with the actors at all. Amaia Aberasturi plays the role of Zoa in a very sober (pun intended) way, but the storyline written for her isn’t good.

In other key roles, we see Belinda Peregrín as the social media influencer África. In the more adult part of the character gallery, we see roles played by Amaia Salamanca (Perdida), Guillermo Pfening (The Paramedic), and Ana Wagener (The Innocent).

Watch Welcome to Eden season 1 on Netflix!

Joaquín Górriz and Guillermo López Sánchez are the creators behind this Netflix series from Spain. And I am in no way surprised that two men created this when you look at the young female characters. They are not very well written or fleshed out. Not to say that men can’t write women well (they obviously can). This is just not an example of that.

The directors on the episodes of this new Netflix production are Daniel Benmayor and Menna Fité. While Daniel Benmayor most recently worked on the intense Netflix action movie Xtremo, Menna Fité directed the Netflix series Victim Number 8 (2018). For horror fans, it’s also an intriguing “First assistant director” credited for The Orphanage (2007).

Honestly, I just felt old while watching this series and I watch plenty of TV series and movies with teen characters and can easily relate. I’ll never stop being a kid at heart! From Prime Video’s The Wilds (season 2 coming out the same day as this Netflix series) to the Paramount+ series Yellowjackets and the brilliant Netflix series Alice in Borderland or even just the megahit Stranger Things.

Well, with Welcome to Eden, we’re nowhere near any of those series. Which is a shame! Then again, I feel absolutely certain that many people will want to watch this series as well. To them, I say, have fun and enjoy. Personally, I don’t get the appeal of this Netflix addition.

Season 1 of Welcome to Eden is out on Netflix with all 8 episodes on May 6, 2022.

Details

Creators: Joaquín Górriz, Guillermo López
Cast: Amaia Salamanca, Lola Rodríguez, Berta Vázquez, Ana Mena, Begoña Vargas, Belinda Peregrín, Sergio Momo