Far Cry 5: Inside Eden's Gate is a live-action short film that serves as a prequel to the events of the game Far Cry 5.
Three vloggers, Alex, Hannah, and Sara come to the remote Hope County in Montana, following a request by a resident named Mark, who is also a friend of theirs. Mark's sister, Linny, has fallen under the sway of a fanatical cult called The Project at Eden’s Gate, and he hopes to rescue her. To find out what happened to her, the four then infiltrate the cult. Horrified by their findings, they put their lives on the line to warn the world.
Produced by Ubisoft and Asylum Entertainment, the film was released on March 5, 2018 on Amazon Prime and uploaded to YouTube
a month later by Ubisoft North America. Greg Bryk reprises his role as Joseph Seed from the game.
The film provides examples of:
- Action Girl: Among the protagonists, Hannah proves to be this, being instrumental in the group's attempted escape by knocking out a few guards with a baseball bat. She also proves to be quite adept with guns, wielding two pistols and later an assault rifle. This may be justified, given that she plans to join the Marines soon.
- Affectionate Gesture to the Head: Joseph does this to Jacob just before the cult heads out to engage the escaping protagonists.
- Agitated Item Stomping: At the end of the film, when Alex reveals that he uploaded the footage he took of Eden's Gate to the internet, Joseph takes the smartphone he was using to do so and angrily crushes it underfoot.
- Apocalypse Cult: Eden's Gate is this, as Joseph believes that the end of the world is imminent, and recruits people in order to prepare for it. When he hears the ruckus caused by the protagonists trying to escape, he briefly thinks that the world is indeed ending.
- Armed Altruism: Despite holding an assault rifle, Alex gives it to Hannah in favor of fleeing with the footage he and his friends filmed of Eden's Gate, leaving himself unarmed and unable to resist when Joseph and his brothers finally catch up to him.
- Batter Up!: The protagonists manage to escape their cell primarily because Hannah found a baseball bat and used it to knock some guards unconscious.
- The Bad Guy Wins: Eden's Gate is ultimately successful in indoctrinating Sara and thwarting the attempt made by the other protagonists to escape.
- Bittersweet Ending: While the protagonists ultimately fail to escape the cult, they do manage to upload the footage they filmed of it onto the internet, where it accumulates millions of views. This presumably draws the attention of the U.S. Marshals, who issue a warrant of arrest for Joseph, leading into the events of Far Cry 5. Sadly, you'll know how that will turn out.
- The Cameo: The opening minutes of the film feature cameos by Nick and Mary in the Spread Eagle Bar, with the latter serving the former a beer.
- *Click* Hello: Two examples of this trope appear in the film.
- Jacob does this to the protagonists from behind after he catches them spying on and filming the cult baptizing some new recruits.
- After Joseph feigns surrender and starts walking towards Hannah, she seemed poised to shoot him, even delivering a Pre-Mortem One-Liner. Before she can do so, however, John pulls this trope on her, having snuck up behind her while she was distracted with Joseph. Seeing that Mark has been disarmed and restrained, Hannah quickly surrenders to John.
- Double Tap: Hannah kills a cultist in this manner during a shootout while escaping the cult with her friends.
- Eye Scream: During the protagonists' attempt to escape the cult, Mark kills a guard by shooting him in the eye with a crossbow.
- Guns Akimbo: Hannah wields two pistols in this manner at one point while fleeing the cultists.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Hannah and Mark pull this by choosing to stay behind and hold off Joseph and his men in order to buy Alex enough time to escape and ensure that their footage is successfully uploaded onto the internet.
- I Surrender, Suckers: While confronting Hannah and Mark, Joseph pulls this trope, dropping his gun on the ground and pretending to surrender, distracting Hannah long enough for John to sneak up behind her and hold a gun to her head just as she tries to shoot the cult leader.
- I Will Find You: It is Mark's desire to rescue his sister Linny from Eden's Gate that kickstarts the plot.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: One of the cult's guards meets this fate when Alex pushes him into a pile of sticks, causing one to impale him straight through the chest.
- In Medias Res: The film begins with footage of Alex filming himself while desperately running through a forest. It is later revealed that this scene takes place near the end of the film where the protagonist have escaped their imprisonment at the hands of Eden's Gate and are trying to flee from Joseph and his brothers.
- Instant Expert: The protagonists seem to be quite adept at instantly utilizing the weapons they stole from the cult once they get their hands on them. In Hannah's case, it may be justified, given that she plans to join the Marines, but it's more jarring for Alex and Mark given that the film gives no hints that they have any prior experience with weapons. Then again, Mark is from Hope County, and everyone there is trained with guns in the game.
- Intrepid Reporter: The protagonists play this role, deciding to spy on Eden's Gate and trying to gather as much footage of the cult's misdeeds as possible to hand to the police.
- Palm on Cheek Pose: Faith does this to the protagonists upon meeting them for the first time, ostensibly to seem affectionate and welcoming, but in actuality, she is scanning them for features that might make them easier to indoctrinate. This is hinted at when she lingers on Sara's face for much longer than the others, allowing her to notice Sara's Dull Eyes of Unhappiness and single her out for Joseph to focus his brainwashing on.
- Pop the Tires: While escaping from Eden's Gate, Hannah does this to some of the cult's vehicles. Unfortunately, it doesn't stop Joseph and his men from pursuing.
- Pre-Mortem One-Liner: When Joseph "surrenders" to Hannah and Mark, the former delivers one, fully intending to shoot Joseph. Unfortunately for her, she failed to realize that Joseph was merely serving as a distraction so John could sneak up on her to recapture her.Hannah: You want to meet God? Now's your chance.John: *clicks gun next to Hannah's head* Yours too, little sheep.
- Retirony: The film opens with the protagonists filming what was to be last episode of their vlog, as Alex plans to do some traveling afterwards, while Hannah is going to join the Marines. It ends with the protagonists being captured by Eden's Gate and facing Uncertain Doom at their hands.
- Stockholm Syndrome: By the time the protagonists encounter Mark's sister, Linny, she has been fully indoctrinated into Eden's Gate and shows no interest in wanting to leave. She even wants Mark to accept the cult's baptism, telling him that they will "be a family again".
- Symbolic Baptism: After the protagonists spy on the cult conducting a baptism, they are captured and also subjected to it, with the cultists pouring drugs into the water to sedate them.
- Technicolor Toxin: The drug used by the cult in the film is a neon blue liquid that is poured into the water when they baptize new members. Faith is also later seen pouring it into the tea that she gives Sara. Given its different color from Bliss in the game, but similar effects, it's unknown if the drug is Bliss or a different narcotic altogether.
- Uncertain Doom: The film ends with the protagonists firmly in the clutches of the cult. It remains to be seen if their fates are revealed in Far Cry 5 or not.
- The War Has Just Begun: After closing in on Alex and thwarting his escape, Joseph tells him to surrender. Alex responds with this trope by revealing that he uploaded the footage taken of Eden's Gate onto the internet.Joseph: Death is upon the world already. Let us not fight it any longer.Alex: *reveals uploading reaching 100%* Well, fight's coming whether you like it or not.
- You Are Not Alone: Having sensed that Sara has experienced great loss in her life and secretly desires companionship, Joseph says this to her in order to convince her to drink the drugged tea Faith offers her and join Eden's Gate.
