A bloated pandemic-era drama wastes a stellar cast as Aster abandons horror roots for heavy-handed social commentary
Ari Aster’s latest movie, produced by A24, marks a concerning downturn with this perplexingly tedious film, an arduous and peculiarly self-conscious critique that ineffectively tackles various contemporary issues – including the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, digital misinformation, social divides, Black Lives Matter protests, progressive white guilt, and firearm debates. This Ari Aster movie attempts to be a state-of-the-nation address but falls short in its execution.
Actor Joaquin Phoenix at the 81st Venice International Film Festival
Photo credit: Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Visual Excellence Overshadowed by Narrative Shortcomings
Despite Darius Khondji’s masterful cinematography lending visual appeal, the film struggles to deliver any fresh or compelling narrative substance. Perhaps most remarkably, it achieves the unlikely feat of rendering powerhouse performers Emma Stone, Pedro Pascal, and Joaquin Phoenix surprisingly uninspiring. This stems from both the mediocre screenplay and its plodding pace, which spans an extensive runtime more suited to a streaming series, failing to capture the suspense and intrigue of movies like Hereditary.
Setting the Stage: Small-Town Pandemic Politics
The narrative unfolds in Eddington, a fictional New Mexican town adjacent to Native American lands, as the COVID-19 pandemic begins (curiously omitting any reference to Trump amid the endless news clips and viral TikTok-style videos). The story centers on the conflict between progressive mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) and conservative sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix), who interestingly mirror opposite stances to their Jaws counterparts regarding individual freedoms, embodying the culture wars and political polarization of our time.
Emma Stone with fans after Kinds of Kindness press conference at 2024 Cannes Film Festiva
Photo credit: Arielaortizb, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Mask Mandates and Server Farms: Symbols of Division
Here, Mayor Garcia advocates strict mask mandates while Sheriff Cross defiantly refuses compliance, reflecting the pandemic-era tensions that gripped the nation. Cross also harbors resentment over the mayor’s support for a massive “online server farm” development – a resource-draining project symbolizing internet-driven social discord and online radicalization – further intensifying existing tensions in this small-town politics drama.
Personal Conflicts Amidst Social Turmoil
The plot thickens with the revelation of past romantic connections between the mayor and Cross’s wife Louise (Emma Stone), who now battles mental health issues. Her mother Dawn (Deirdre O’Connell), reluctantly quarantined with them, embodies the archetypal conspiracy theorist and social media obsessive – though the film never quite succeeds in making these elements either amusing or engaging as a social satire.
Photo credit: Toglenn, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
A Generational Divide and Racial Complexities
Garcia’s insufferable teenage son Eric (Matt Gomez Hidaka) dates Sarah (Amélie Hoeferle), an exaggerated caricature of social justice activism, consumed by white privilege guilt and regret over breaking up with Michael (Micheal Ward) – now a gun-enthusiast police officer under Sheriff Cross, adding racial complexity to the narrative of this contemporary Western.
Social Unrest and Cult Influence
Tensions escalate following the George Floyd tragedy, sparking Black Lives Matter protests in the town. Meanwhile, Louise and Dawn become enthralled by Vernon Jefferson Peak (Austin Butler), a charismatic cult figure who claims recovered abuse memories and encourages followers to uncover similar traumas, tapping into the 21st century paranoia that permeates society.
Political Showdown and Armed Confrontation
Sheriff Cross responds to these mounting pressures by launching his own mayoral campaign, ultimately rallying townspeople to arm themselves for an impending confrontation, further highlighting the social divides within the community.
Missing Comedic Potential
The premise of a political showdown between these weathered alpha males suggests comedic potential, with the film’s sole genuine laugh emerging from Mayor Garcia’s overly sentimental campaign advertisement, dramatically recounting his challenges as a single father. This scene, reminiscent of a Pedro Pascal meme, stands out in an otherwise humorless narrative.
Sharp But Derivative Social Commentary
The film offers some bitingly sharp, caustic commentary on the reprehensible attitudes prevalent within the sheriff’s department. In one scene, an officer makes a cynical observation about racial dynamics, suggesting that African Americans resent Hispanic people for being “pseudo-minorities stealing their benefits”. When Native American officer Butterfly Jimenez (William Belleau) becomes involved in an investigation, a white colleague makes a deplorable racist remark about checking on “alcohol-fueled domestic disputes at your casinos”.
However, these observations feel derivative and unoriginal – including a contentious town hall conducted via Zoom that oddly echoes the infamous Handforth Parish Council meeting. The narrative fails to build meaningful tension or deliver any profound insights, with even the climactic gunfight scene falling flat. It offers no fresh perspective on already well-documented issues, failing to capture the essence of genre-bending films like Attack the Block or the unsettling atmosphere of Aster’s previous works like Midsommar with its May Queen imagery.
A Disappointing Entry in Aster’s Filmography
Audiences must continue waiting for the next Ari Aster movie to recapture his earlier directorial brilliance. This attempt at a satirical elements-laden, contemporary Western exploring small-town politics and pandemic-era tensions ultimately fails to resonate, leaving viewers longing for the psychological depth and horror of Aster’s previous films. As it stands, this latest addition to Ari Aster movies ranked would likely fall near the bottom, a disappointing entry in the filmmaker’s otherwise impressive catalogue.
Source:
Peter Bradshaw (May 16, 2025). Eddington review – Ari Aster’s tedious Covid western masks drama and mutes his stars. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/may/16/eddington-review-ari-asters-tedious-covid-western-masks-drama-and-mutes-his-stars
Header Photo: Pedro Pascal, actor, at the 2025 South by Southwest festival.
Photo credit: Bea Phi, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
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