Netflix’s 'East of Eden' Fixes the Biggest Mistake in James Dean’s 1955 Classic

Published Oct 5, 2026, 8:51 PM EDT

Giovana Gelhoren is a High-Trending Topics Writer at Collider, covering the most-talked-about stars, movies, and TV shows. Before joining Collider, she was a Digital News Writer at People Magazine and served as Associate Editor at SheKnows, where she honed her expertise in celebrity coverage and entertainment journalism.

A proud Latina from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Giovana graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Journalism and International Studies. She has interviewed countless celebrities, including Anne Hathaway, Halle Berry, Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Brenda Song, and is known for her encyclopedic knowledge of film, TV, and pop culture.

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Currently on Netflix, the platform's newest period drama series, East of Eden, is reigning supreme. Per FlixPatrol, the seven-episode series, which premiered on October 1, 2026, is No. 1 worldwide, and is successfully beating out Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story. But while the feat is certainly impressive, it's perhaps an indication that fans of the original novel, John Steinbeck's 1952 book by the same name, as well as its adaptations, are likely flocking to tune in to its newest, most modern version yet.

And, as fans of the novel and the 1955 movie adaptation starring James Dean will soon see, the new Netflix series has taken some new directions and liberties. While sticking closely to the original source material, East of Eden, created by Zoe Kazan (the granddaughter of Elia Kazan, the director of the 1955 movie), also expands on storylines and characters that had a limited screen time in the 1955 version. With seven full episodes instead of one less-than-two-hour movie, East of Eden delivers a more complete, multifaceted version of the story, all while shining a light on Florence Pugh's Cathy like never before.

What Is 'East of Eden' About?

In a retelling of Cain and Abel from the Bible, East of Eden centers around two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons, during the late 19th century. In the Trask household, the series follows two brothers, Adam (Christopher Abbott) and Charles (Mike Faist), who, right when Adam returns from service, receive an unexpected visitor. One night, a woman, Pugh's Cathy Ames, turns up on their porch, beaten and bleeding to death. Charles cautions Adam against pursuing Cathy, seeing a darkness in her that reflects his own, but Adam disregards his brother's warnings. To Adam, Cathy is merely a survivor of a vicious attack, and while helping her heal, he falls in love with her and marries her.

After their marriage, Cathy and Adam move to California, and she gives birth to twin sons: Aron (Joe Anders) and Cal (Joseph Zada). Staying true to Charles' prediction, however, Cathy soon abandons Adam and their sons shortly after their births, leaving Adam to raise his kids with the help of Hoon Lee's loyal Lee, a servant and cook. Much like his father, Adam chooses one son, Aron, as his favorite, making it obvious to his sons which one he prefers. As his sons grow, Adam quietly struggles with whether to keep the secret that his sons' mother is still alive or to reveal the ugly truth.

Netflix's 'East of Eden' Dives Deeper Into the Source Material

With the synopsis of the series alone, it's already clear that the Netflix version of East of Eden is much more expansive and features a fuller spectrum of the entire source material. While the 1955 movie has a more narrow focus, telling the last third of the story of the original novel, the series has a wider breadth, spanning multiple generations and decades to better match the initial scope of the novel. By following multiple generations of the Trask family, the series gives itself more context to characters' intentions, long-rooted tensions, and patterns that are repeated time and time again. Therefore, while the 1955 movie has remained an all-time classic for more than 70 years, the new series expands on the story even further, covering more than half of the original book.

In doing so, East of Eden also turns the focus onto Cathy, who most benefits from the expanded scope. With more screen time, the series awards her with not only a backstory, but also a greater narrative focus that make her more complex than her supporting role in the film allowed. Instead of just being a supporting antagonist like in the movie, Pugh is a central antihero in the series, and a multilayered, complex one at that. "This new version of the character isn't defanged; she's still manipulative, mercurial, and a ruthless killer," wrote Therese Lacson of Pugh's character in her review for Collider. "Unlike the book, however, it's impossible to watch East of Eden and not at least view Cathy as a tragic figure. Pugh imbues Cathy with all her flaws; she's cold and aloof, always calculating and scheming, and switches from a capable woman into a helpless one when it benefits her. She's sharp and instinctual, and Pugh isn't afraid to explore the hills and valleys of her character, resulting in a multifaceted portrayal."

With all that said, while the 1955 movie adaptation of East of Eden is a classic, Netflix's newly released version brings something new to the story and certainly makes a case for its existence. With a larger scope, more backstory for all of its characters, and a central antihero that's more than just purely evil and cruel, East of Eden delivers a modern, gripping take on the original source material that's certainly worth a watch.