"Eddington" Marks Ari Aster's Grand Return to the Screen and Divides Critics

[This review is spoiler-free]

For the past few years, one of the most well-regarded names in the film industry has been director, Ari Aster. Since his first feature in 2018, Aster has made a name for himself as not only one of the most interesting working directors, but also the new undisputed king of horror. Since graduating from the American Film Institute, Aster has directed three features: Hereditary, Midsommar, and Beau is Afraid, all of which are certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. This year, the director made his return at the Cannes Film Festival in France to premiere his latest project: Eddington, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, and Austin Butler.

Eddington is unlike Aster's previous features, which have all been psychological horror. Eddington, on the other hand, is a contemporary western taking place in May of 2020. It follows the story of a feud between Sheriff Joe Cross (Phoenix) and Mayor, Ted Garcia (Pascal) all in the small town of Eddington, New Mexico. When Sheriff Cross decides to run for Mayor against Garcia for Mayor out of spite, mud-slinging politics ensue that culminate in an utterly jaw-dropping third act.

Eddington was by-far one of the most highly anticipated films at Cannes this year. Fans lined up in droves outside the Grand Lumière Theater, hoping to be among the first in the world to set their eyes on Aster's latest work. I was lucky enough to be at the premiere last night and the energy was completely unmatched. In addition to the main cast, more A-listers made appearances like Angelina Jolie, Natalie Portman, Joel Edgerton, and Julia Garner.

But despite coming from one of Hollywood's most revered directors, Eddington was far from safe when it comes to criticism. Various outlets who have covered the film cannot seem to come up with a straight consensus, and a lot of the film has been grossly misrepresented in the media so far. Immediately following the brief standing ovation, Aster said to the crowd "I don't know what to say...I don't know what you think...thank you or...sorry, I don't know." It seems as though the director was just as speechless as the crowd.

This will delight some and disappoint others, but Eddington is far more reminiscent of Beau Is Afraid than Hereditary and Midsommar. There's an element of surrealism and insanity but there's nothing paranormal or even horror-oriented about it.

Eddington being constantly described as a "covid-era western" is a little misrepresentative, really it's a George Floyd-era western. Covid is only a central theme for the first twenty minutes or so, most of the film's tension comes from social tension caused by the nation-wide Black Lives Matter protests of 2020.

It's interesting to see May 2020 be immortalized on screen like this. All of us remember 2020 and how contentious of a time it was for the United States. Ari Aster clearly remembers this period vividly and has a lot to say about it. Eddington has a wealth of political themes and commentary but it's extremely difficult to pin down which side its on. The film presents the worst of both sides, but even though the protagonist is a far-right conservative, it never feels like the audience is supposed to entirely root for him. Joe Cross is an extremely unreliable narrator and the more the film progresses it's clear that there's something below the surface that we're not being told. On one hand its nice that the filmmakers aren't spoon-feeding the audience an explanation for every twist and turn, but that does lead to more than a little confusion when it comes to the script.

The third act of Eddington is something that absolutely must be seen in theaters. Find the biggest screen with the loudest speakers possible to get the best experience because it includes Aster's most ambitious scenes yet.

Eddington is not a film that is going to please everyone. Critics are already extremely divided on the quality of the project and whether it is worth further examination. But objectively, it does have a good script, incredible action, and a plot that you would never see coming in a million years. Not to mention it is a strong contender for being Aster's most beautifully shot project to date.

While critics have their thoughts, the real court of public opinion begins on July 18th when the movie hits American theaters on July 18th. Only then will Eddington be exposed to its toughest critics. But for the moment, Eddington still stands as Cannes most difficult ticket to acquire for festival-goers, only time will tell if it is deemed worthy of that title.