‘East of Eden’: Critics Swoon for ‘Captivating,’ ‘Commanding,’ ‘Impressive’ Florence Pugh

‘East Of Eden’ Review: Florence Pugh Is Extraordinary In Zoe Kazan’s Breathtaking Saga About The Sins We Carry & The Ones We Can Transcend

Everyone in “East of Eden” carries something heavy, and the weight of those burdens feels almost biblical. Shame, resentment, violence, abandonment. They are the failures, mistakes, and wounds parents pass down to their children, and the equally terrible things those children sometimes carry into adulthood. Zoe Kazan’s magnificent, emotionally intelligent adaptation of John Steinbeck’s 1952 novel understands that family history never simply disa…

‘East of Eden’: Critics swoon for ‘captivating,’ ‘commanding,’ ‘impressive’ Florence Pugh

Hoon Lee also earns raves for a standout performance in Zoe Kazan's limited-series adaptation of the classic John Steinbeck novel.

Awards Watch - ‘East of Eden’ (2026) TV Review: Florence Pugh and Hoon Lee are Spectacular, But Zoe Kazan’s Adaptation Should Be Taken to Trask [C+]

John Steinbeck’s magnum opus, “East of Eden,” might just be the Great American Novel. That’s by no means a controversial statement to make, but it’s the only way to convey just how one might feel after living in his 600-page saga. The vivid characters and the economy of Steinbeck’s writing, with single sentences containing multitudes,…