Paradise Hills Blends 80s Homage, Lewis Carroll Inspiration and Directorial Debut

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Alice Waddington’s impressive directorial debut “Paradise Hills” is a captivating film that pays homage to the delightfully campy genre classics of the 1980s. Throughout the movie, clever references to iconic films add depth and intrigue to the story.

The movie’s hyper-feminine visuals conceal allusions to more traditionally male-dominated films, and Waddington credits her parents for introducing her to influential genre films like “Blade Runner” and “A Clockwork Orange.”

These movies, along with her love for fantasy literature like J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” and films like “The NeverEnding Story” and the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, inspired elements of “Paradise Hills.”

When the audience first sees the Paradise Hills girls, three of them are dressed in white and skipping a white rope, reminiscent of a scene from the Freddy’s saga, serving as a foreshadowing death omen.

Emma Roberts and Eiza González both starred in the 2019 science fiction thriller film Paradise HillsEmma Roberts and Eiza González both starred in the 2019 science fiction thriller film Paradise Hills (Credit: Alfa Pictures)

The film’s Escher-like architecture is a nod to the 1960s British series “The Prisoner,” creating a surreal and mind-bending atmosphere.

Emma Roberts portrays Uma, a young woman who is sent to Paradise Hills, a mysterious rehabilitation center for wayward girls. At first, Uma is reluctant to participate in the center’s programs, but she soon realizes that she needs to change her ways if she wants to escape.

Uma’s wedding gown pays tribute to the iconic attire worn by Sarah in Jim Henson’s film “Labyrinth,” further weaving classic film references into the narrative.

The imagery and themes in “Paradise Hills” also draw inspiration from Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” From the presence of the Duchess to the symbolic red and white roses and the dreamlike labyrinth within the center, the film cleverly echoes the wonder and whimsy of the timeless literary work.

Paradise Hills Cast Members’ Ages at World Premiere

“Paradise Hills” had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2019. Following its debut, Samuel Goldwyn Films acquired distribution rights to the movie, which was eventually released on October 25, 2019.

At the time of the world premiere of “Paradise Hills” at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2019, the ages of the main cast were as follows: Emma Roberts and Danielle Macdonald, both born in 1991, were 27 years old; Awkwafina, born in 1988, was 30 years old; Jeremy Irvine, born in 1990, was 28 years old; Arnaud Valois, born in 1984, was 34 years old; Eiza González, born in 1990, was 28 years old; and Milla Jovovich, born in 1975, was 43 years old.

In "Paradise Hills," Emma Roberts played the character Uma, Eiza González portrayed Amarna, Danielle Macdonald brought Chloe to life, and Awkwafina took on the role of YuIn “Paradise Hills,” Emma Roberts played the character Uma, Eiza González portrayed Amarna, Danielle Macdonald brought Chloe to life, and Awkwafina took on the role of Yu (Credit: Alfa Pictures)

In “Paradise Hills,” Alice Waddington skillfully portrays various forms of repression faced by the young heroines at the reform school. Each character’s unique struggle reflects a different aspect of societal pressure and expectations.

Uma, the American girl portrayed by Emma Roberts, resists the idea of an arranged marriage. Amarna, played by Eiza González, faces pressure to suppress her sexuality due to her Latin-American background.

Danielle Macdonald’s character, Chloe, embraces her body type, but her parents push her towards conforming to beauty standards.

Awkwafina’s character, Yu, struggles with her desire to pursue music and creativity instead of taking over her family’s business, a norm in her Chinese culture.

“We have Uma, the [white] American girl [Roberts] that doesn’t want to get married,” Waddington told SYFY in an interview.

“We have Amarna [González], the Latin-American character that is being told to curtail her sexuality. We have Chloe [Macdonald], who is perfectly happy with her body type, but her parents have educated their other daughters to be beauty queens. We have Yu [Awkwafina], a Chinese woman who doesn’t want to follow her family’s example by taking over the family business. She wants to be creative. She wants to be a musician. So, you know, there’s a variety of stories in there.”

Director Alice Waddington with film producers Adrian Guerra Núria Valls during a press conference of the film 'Paradise Hills'Director Alice Waddington with film producers Adrian Guerra Núria Valls during a press conference of the film ‘Paradise Hills’ on October 4, 2019, in Sitges, Spain (Credit: Luis Javier Villalba / Shutterstock)

“I wanted to see myself in the story,” she added about the casting of González. Alice Waddington was born Irene Lago Clavero, on July 31, 1990, in Bilbao, Spain, to a Catalan psychologist and a Galician teacher.

At the age of sixteen, while assisting director of photography Quique López, Irene Lago Clavero adopted the stage name “Alice Waddington.”

“I’m Spanish and Hispanic. And I definitely wanted to have an actress that represented that point of view. And I just felt Eliza was perfect for that,” adding, “I really can’t imagine the role without her.”

Emma Roberts’ Edgy, Cool-Girl Style on Display at 2016 FOX Summer TCA Party

In August 2016, Emma Roberts joined her “Scream Queens” co-stars at the 2016 FOX Summer TCA party in West Hollywood.

Emma Roberts wears her blonde hair down in curls as she attends the FOX Summer TCA Press TourEmma Roberts wears her blonde hair down in curls as she attends the FOX Summer TCA Press Tour held on August 8, 2016, at Soho House in Los Angeles (Credit: FayesVision / WENN)

The then-25-year-old actress donned a bright green ensemble from the Coach 1941 Resort 2017 collection, perfectly showcasing her signature edgy, cool-girl style.

She wore a printed blouse tucked into a studded leather mini-skirt that drew attention to her flawless legs.

Emma Roberts wears a bright green bomber jacket from the Coach 1941 Resort 2017 collectionEmma Roberts wears a bright green bomber jacket from the Coach 1941 Resort 2017 collection (Credit: FayesVision / WENN)

Emma threw a green bomber jacket on top of her outfit to give the look a bit of sporty-glam vibe.

Emma Roberts shows off her legs in a studded Coach mini skirtEmma Roberts shows off her legs in a studded Coach mini skirt (Credit: FayesVision / WENN)

She kept the rest of the look simple. She didn’t seem to be wearing any jewelry, and she let her center-parted tresses cascade over her shoulders.

The niece of Julia Roberts rounded out her look with pink lipstick and bronze eye makeup.

Emma Roberts flaunts her long legs and edgy style in a Coach Resort 2017 ensembleEmma Roberts flaunts her long legs and edgy style in a Coach Resort 2017 ensemble (Credit: FayesVision / WENN)

Emma tied the look together with a pair of Saint Laurent “Paris” pumps. These classic shoes have a simple silhouette with pointed toes and about 4.3-inch heels.

Emma Roberts's feet in black pointed-toe Saint Laurent pumpsEmma Roberts’s feet in black pointed-toe Saint Laurent pumps (Credit: FayesVision / WENN)

You can order the minimally designed Saint Laurent pumps on Mytheresa and Nordstrom.

Black Saint Laurent "Paris" Leather PumpsBlack Saint Laurent “Paris” Leather Pumps, $595