Eddington

Joaquin Phoenix is really one of our best actors. I am a fan of his work from films like "Inherent Vice", "Two Lovers", "Buffalo Soldiers", "Her", "Napoleon", "Irrational Man", "Gladiator", "Walk the Line", and "The Master". And of course he won the Oscar for best actor for "Joker".

Now he stars in a new movie called "Eddington" directed by Ari Aster. I know that Ari Aster previously directed the films "Hereditary", "Midsommer", and "Beau is Afraid". But I have not seen any of those.

The story takes place in the fictional town of Eddington, New Mexico during May of 2020, the time of the coronavirus pandemic. It starts with people arguing about whether or not they should have to wear face masks to protect them from the virus.

Joaquin plays the local sheriff who clashes with the mayor, played by Pedro Pascal in a supporting role. Then Joaquin's character decides to run for mayor himself.

The story escalates into some violence but is never less than compelling and entertaining. This is one of the better movies I have seen this year. Also with an excellent supporting cast including Emma Stone and Austin Butler.

Also with good cinematography from Darius Khondji, who was nominated for "Bardo false chronicle of a handful of truths" and "Evita".

This film is very much worth seeing in a movie theater. A very good movie.

I can only tell this is gonna be a very polarising film, people are going to love the ambition from Aster or call it a convoluted mess.

Depending on your views during the 2020s will severely determined your outlook on this film. Are you able to laugh at the insanity or remain serious at the severity of events that transpired.

Eddington is ultimately a satire on the comedic ridiculousness and tumultuous times of the 2020's. Eddington in itself is the main character. It's a macrocosom of events that impacted the US but obviously ramps them up to 11.

I appreciate the craft and the film was at its best when it was reminiscent of the Coen's No Country For Old Men. The 2nd act elevated the implemented satire to a contemporary western crime thriller.

The film is hit or miss in its summary. I understand the message and themes but at some points the execution is lacking. I feel like it tried to juggle a lot of themes and messages. Maybe sticking to one or two would have made the film more tight and succinct.

This time around, he has chosen a different genre to terrify us with, a contemporary western. Eddington is an unsuspecting thrill ride with plenty of laughs, classic western callbacks, fresh new characters, and gut punching scenes.

The action is ramped up compared to Aster's previous films. It's a step out to show the violent, defensive side of America bubbling up through our cast of characters. In typical Aster fashion, though, the brute force is reserved for about the second half of the movie exclusively. It's very hard to call this an action movie in that case, but Aster's films are impossible to define by their genre any way.

The laughs and comedic moments are better than ever in Eddington. All the visual gags and reoccurring jokes aid the uncanny feeling of reality. Many real Americans talk and act the way characters do in Eddington. The most effective way to cope is to observe and laugh. It never feels like Aster is trying to push a political agenda with the comedy in Eddington. It comes from a place of trying to highlight the ridiculous absurdity that is America in 2020.

The western callbacks and references are backed in the films DNA. None of the western moments feel like after thoughts. The stand offs, walking in places the character shouldn't, and bad guys rolling in on the horizon all feel whole-heartedly Eddington. These western callbacks aren't just tacked on to call it a western. The references are deliberately placed and feel well planned to suit the story.

Overall, I will be seeing Eddington in theaters again. The theater I saw it in on Thursday, opening night, had maybe 10 people in it. Everybody laughed, squirmed, and moaned, but it wasn't enough for a single viewing. I'm willing to bet I'll pick up on even more details next time around. Side note: There are many small, written, sometimes hidden details in many frames. You should watch it in a theater.

Finally, a film addresses the giant elephant in the room that in the last five years has sent the country spiralling even further into political and identity tribalism, the ascendance of authoritarianism, etc., which the media likes to pretend it never stoked (as if Jan. 6th was all based on one discontented president's rhetoric and not also on thousands of jobs lost due to shutdowns): the Covid-19 Pandemic. The ever busy Pedro Pascal and always adventurous Joaquin Phoenix are great as Mayor and Sheriff at political odds in the tiny town of Eddington, New Mexico (really Truth or Consequences) with mask restrictions that drove many a citizen crazy in 2020-1 (the plot only seems a bit of an overreach by conflating AI into the mix, an issue that really didn't enter the national conversation until late 2022 at the earliest). Emma Stone is very funny as Joaquin's doll-obsessed, frigid wife, and the film has a charming, homespun quality that recalls other New Mexico-set films like "Welcome To Mooseport" and "White Sands" (I tried to be an extra when it filmed a year ago this past April but missed the window, finding only "Welcome Eddington!" marquees at various drive-ins). With NM's usually vibrant film scene slowed to a snail's pace due to tariffs and such (Superman was essentially fighting a fitter, younger Don), it's great we still have challenging, well-written films like this emerging in 2025 among all the usual play-it-safe remakes and reboots. Check out Eddington; at least it'll give you something to talk about.

This movie reminds me of a real story of self awareness in light of the worlds ills. In the early 1900s, a newspaper reportedly asked a group of notable writers and thinkers to respond to the question, "What is wrong with the world today?" To which the famous theologian and thinker G. K. Chesterton is said to have replied with a characteristically witty and humble response "Dear Sirs, I am. Yours sincerely, G. K. Chesterton."

Ari Aster has made another horror film. This one is disguised as a modern day Western, Dark Comedy, but this is deep diving stuff that inserts us into a small New Mexico town in 2020 that is at the beginning stages of the COVID pandemic. Joaquin Phoenix is the tour guide - and the ride - who shows us something of what is wrong with the world.

Eddington took me back to feelings of despair that play on in our world. This is a most excellent tragic tale and definitely not a comedy, although the audience will probably laugh in the discomfort of seeing the true reflection of ourselves somewhere in this mirror of blame, conspiracy, narcissism, and social rage.

Somehow Aster keeps this from being preachy while giving us a scare at our own reflections. What wrong with Eddington? It's us.