Writer and director Ari Aster’s “Eddington” is the kind of movie that’s bound to start conversations (and maybe even a few arguments). Set in May 2020 in the thick of the COVID-19 lockdowns, this politically charged, tonally chaotic thriller / dark comedy takes a big, ambitious swing at capturing America’s fractured psyche. It doesn’t always hit the target but when it does, it hits hard.
The story unfolds in the fictional small town of Eddington, New Mexico, where tensions boil over between conservative sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) and liberal mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal). What starts as a debate over mask mandates and pandemic policies spirals into a surreal, violent standoff that feels part satire and part tragedy.
Aster uses the framework of a Western to explore political polarization, pandemic paranoia, and the echo chambers of social media. The dusty main street of Eddington becomes a stand-in for a divided nation. This is a place where everyone is armed with their own truth but are also convinced they’re the hero of the story. It’s sharp, unsettling, and at times uncomfortably funny, packed with the kind of humor that makes you wince because it hits too close to home.
The film’s first half is its strongest, crackling with biting satire. But as the story veers into more surreal territory in the final act, it starts to lose its footing. Aster’s ambition is certainly clear, especially when he makes grand statements about truth, tribalism, and the American psyche. Because of this, the film becomes tangled in its own ideas.
Even when the film stumbles, it’s never boring. Aster has a gift for crafting films that fill the audience with discomfort, and here he captures the claustrophobia, confusion, and anger of early pandemic life better than almost anything else has.
Far from perfect but undeniably interesting, “Eddington” is an ambitious, frustrating, and ultimately fascinating mess of a movie, one that’s sure to spark heated post-viewing debates about what it’s trying to say and whether or not it succeeds.
