“Writer-director Ari Aster's Eddington struggles to distill all the chaos unleashed during the 2020 pandemic in a two-and-a-half-hour nightmare comedy.”
- Stellar performances from Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, and Austin Butler
- Outstanding cinematography and editing
- Ari Aster's insightful social satire
- The film loses focus and speed with so many plotlines
- Some jarring character development
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Hereditary and Midsommar writer-director Ari Aster and A24 unleashed another modern nightmare with the new black comedy film, Eddington. Taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic, Eddington follows small-town sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) as he runs for mayor against incumbent Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal), getting swept up in several timely political and social conflicts that send him and his community into a downward spiral.
Since breaking out into the indie film scene with Hereditary, Aster’s movies have grown more ambitious over time. Eddington reaches the height of this zeal as its story tries to tackle all the issues that plagued America when COVID-19 put the world on lockdown. It’s a bold undertaking that is sure to be divisive, especially since people are still reeling from the pandemic’s effects five years after it began. Despite its good intentions and many artistic merits, Eddington collapses under the weight of its aspirations.
So many subplots, so little time
Eddington squeezes everything that was on people’s minds during the pandemic and distills all the rage and anxiety into a two-and-a-half-hour satirical extravaganza. This includes bitter politicians clashing in an election, angry in-laws regurgitating online conspiracy theories, and Black Lives Matter advocates marching in the streets and demanding justice after the death of George Floyd. However, the film acts less like a time capsule and more like a time bomb that explodes later on as Joe faces off against an Antifa assassin and sprays the streets with a Gatling gun.
Through Joe’s weird and wild adventure, the movie says a lot about how America and its people seemed to have lost their way during the pandemic. At the same time, Eddington seems to lose its way as it attempts to tackle numerous social issues with multiple subplots, leaving the story feeling unfocused. Stories involving an upcoming data center, Louise’s (Emma Stone) experience with sexual assault, and the mysterious cult that she joins seem to get pushed aside until the last few minutes of the film, making for a swift resolution with very little payoff.
Like with his previous films, Aster proves that he is meticulous with his writing in Eddington. The story establishes many small details that tie the film’s plotlines together later on as Joe’s plans unravel. This adds an extra layer of suspense to the story as everyone investigates Joe’s wrongdoings, making the film’s second half especially thrilling. However, Eddington takes so long to build up all that excitement in its slow first half that the story seems to run out of steam by the time it crosses this threshold.
One man frees his heart (of darkness)
Like in Aster’s previous film, Beau Is Afraid, Joaquin Phoenix takes center stage in a deep character study best encapsulated when Joe asks, “How did we get here, and even worse, is it worth it?” Joe starts off as a good-hearted man who is understandably sick of the pressures that come with living through a pandemic that has brought out the worst in his community. Though he seemed a little self-centered at times, he stood up to aggressive public shaming directed toward those who don’t follow mask mandates due to breathing problems.
Joe’s heart may start off in the right place as he tries to bring positive change to his community as mayor. However, he grows more impulsive and selfish in pursuit of political power, exploiting his wife’s past trauma without her consent to attack his opponent online. As Joe’s actions isolate him from his family, he succumbs to his anger and ambition and starts killing his “enemies” in some shocking moments. He even tries to pin his crimes on a social justice advocate and a Black police officer, showcasing police corruption and how politicians use social discord for personal gain.
Phoenix really sells his performance as Joe, realistically portraying an earnest man who slowly nears his breaking point and quickly loses himself when things get out of hand. Likewise, Emma Stone presents herself as a sensitive person whose repressed anger boils to the surface. Her character’s transformation into a zealous conspiracy theorist does seem rushed, especially when her paranoid mother (Deidre O’Connell) suddenly acts more sensible. On the other hand, Austin Butler stands out in his brief role as cult leader Vernon Jefferson Peak, projecting an odd yet hypnotic aura that draws audiences toward him.
A stunning and immersive Western in present-day America
Eddington presents itself as a modern Western, and the film joins the ranks of classic Westerns with a variety of majestic visuals from cinematographer Darius Khondji. With gorgeous wide shots of vast desert landscapes, Eddington appears to be a town that’s cut off from the rest of the world, adding to the sense of isolation felt in this pandemic-era community. The film immerses its audience even more with several long takes that incorporate a variety of camera shots, with sounds like Katy Perry’s “Roar” and Joe’s asthmatic breathing adding tension that pulls the audience in even more.
Lucian Johnston stitches all the film’s vibrant and unsettling images together with spectacular editing, leading to some very clever transitions that have become a mainstay of Aster’s movie. In particular, the dynamic match cuts of Joe disposing of a body and the jump from him spray-painting a wall to a car rolling across the screen give the film a distinctive visual and auditory style.
Is Eddington worth a watch?
Ari Aster’s films have proven to be an acquired taste, and the writer-director has repeatedly proven to be a calculating and intentional storyteller with his movies. While Eddington isn’t Aster’s best picture, it still deserves a massive audience for its visual splendor, gripping character study, and outrageous satire of 2020’s America. It’s a slow start for its first act, and there is more than enough going on in this film that needs to be digested. It all culminates in a gonzo fever dream filled with action, suspense, and dark humor that hits close to home and blows the roof off of it.
Eddington is now playing in theaters.
