Hell in Paradise, a heart-pounding survival thriller from the makers of Lucy, has released its first intense teaser — and it’s already making waves. Made by Virginie Silla and directed by Leila Sy, the movie is an action-packed drama against the tranquil landscape of the Maldives, where paradise soon becomes hell.
Based on a true story, the movie is headlined by Nora Arnezeder as Nina, a Marseille girl who heads to the Maldives for her first hotel reception job, hoping for a brighter future. Her dreams are shattered when an unexpected calamity at the high-end resort spirals into a complex of lies, and Nina becomes unjustly accused of a crime she did not commit. Her sentence: life in prison. Trapped, she must flee and battle her way to freedom — and survival — in a world that has become her own private hell.
Maria Bello adds her presence to the cast in a major role, along with Arnezeder creating a strong female lead partnership. Joining the cast are Josephine de la Baume, Alyy Khan, Shubham Saraf, and Ranjit Krishnama. Karine Silla (A Butterfly Kiss) writes the script, with Gregoire Melin’s Kinology selling the film internationally.
Director Leila Sy, who has done Netflix’s Street Flow (Banlieusards), calls the film “a story of resilience — a reminder that you should never give up, even in the darkest moments.” Producer Silla stressed that Hell in Paradise is fundamentally a tale of female empowerment, one that centers on a woman who has to navigate an alien culture and a deadly network of deceptions to take back her life.
Hell in Paradise reaches French cinemas on November 26, 2025.
