Grasping Events vs Truly Knowing Them
When major events shake our lives, we must recognize the key difference between simply noticing them and genuinely comprehending their full meaning. Acknowledgement happens quickly; indeed, just scanning the main news stories tells us something significant is occurring right now. Though real understanding requires perspective, which we do not have at the time, more precisely, the viewpoint that only a great amount of time and space from the event can provide. As a result, just like “Eddington” none of the historical periods, even the ones that are very long or are extremely short, can be grasped fully by the people who experience them while being inside their reality.
Nevertheless, this initial recognition often results in being much more meaningful because the event is actually underway. Not only that, but constant absorption of the negative side of the news while the problems are still unsolved has the potential to cause deep emotional traumas and even anxiety. As an illustration, it is no wonder allure that the term “doomscrolling” has been widely used lately. Moreover, this alone will go a long way to explain the fact that the incessant flow of major national issues, not to say outrageous complex global crises, has succeeded in bringing about the widespread mental health crises of many people today. Thinking that the news itself has projected you as its victim is not wrong; in fact, it is a typical response to the overpowering, yet tragic, situation which you are experiencing nowadays.
2020’s Breaking Point
America’s current slide into widespread cultural turmoil and confusion naturally has many intertwined causes; definitely, neither a single incident nor a single individual in charge of the situation is to be blamed. Still, 2020 seems to be a watershed moment. During that year, diverse enormous shocks happened all at once. In particular, a horrifying pandemic hit the world while at the same time governments exercised complete lockdown and social distancing, and the incidents of social injustice were more apparent than ever. As a result, the influence of these three forces was so strong that it led to the daily life, familiar to be completely strange and often a nightmare, lasting for many months.
Although it is believed that there was some recovery in ‘2021’, the fact remains that neither the people nor the country as a whole have ever fully recovered from the severe shocks of 2020, as all the events that followed have been revealing. We are now living in a world that has irreversibly changed, and though life is not always unbearable, it is hard to believe that it is normal anymore.
Aster’s Mirror to Madness
Interestingly, filmmaker Ari Aster has never created what could be considered a conventional “normal” movie throughout his relatively short yet highly productive career. In fact, his films have progressively moved further from the ordinary, as his evolution from the disturbing family horror of “Hereditary” to the daylight cult nightmare of “Midsommar” and then to the sprawling, paranoid odyssey of “Beau is Afraid” clearly demonstrates. However, with his latest project, “Eddington” – a deranged Western thriller deliberately set amidst the peak chaos of 2020 – Aster has arguably crafted his most unsettling film so far, precisely because it presents itself as a “normal” one.
This doesn’t mean “Eddington” lacks Aster’s recognizable stylistic flourishes. On the contrary, it strongly conveys one unsettling fact about our real existence: the world is so weird and disconcerting that we can say that we are living in an Ari Aster film. Hence, to “Eddington,” Aster had fewer things to create; he just had to show with his cinematography the bizarre and terrifying world that we are experiencing and portray them.
Genre Mashup
Eddington manages to blend the Western, noir mystery, and suspenseful thriller genres in a way most filmmakers could not achieve. The film’s overall approach and its tone are drastically shaped by this unique formula. On the contrary, no one would make all the President’s Men United 93 Don’t Look Up their referential sources when it comes to Eddington because this movie is far from aiming to be real, hard-hitting, and political. Get the point? Eddington, All the President’s Men, United 93, or Don’t Look Up are too different to be confused with each other.
Essentially, “Eddington” is a parody of certain politics and not to be compared with fact-based films about history. The idea and the action of “Eddington” fit very well into the areas of satirical and black comedy. Movies like “Bulworth” and “Burn After Reading” are its direct relatives in the dark genres, and the film also sustains the thriller and seclusion record brought about by “Bad Day at Black Rock.”
Set in a small, fictional town of Eddington, New Mexico, the film is all about the local conservative Sheriff, Joe Cross, played by Joaquin Phoenix. In the beginning, Joe presents himself as someone who is very simple and has a good sense of humor. For instance, he openly debates the necessity of masks in public. Even though he has clear right-wing political beliefs, Joe is presented as an archetype of the authority figure from the history of the nation. To be more precise, he comes across as a humble individual, has firm principles, and always tries to solve the problem in a more peaceful manner and at the same time never gives in to his personal beliefs.
Cracks in the Facade
However, Joe plunges into deep problems at a rapid pace, thereby putting Joe in a personal situation and the town that he mistakenly thought was permanent, shut apart from the rest of the nation, out of the larger sphere of troubles. Joe has a profound resentment against Ted Garcia, who is the mayor of the town (Pedro Pascal). The hostility started from an occasion in the past where Ted was with Joe’s wife, Louise (Emma Stone), and the fact of what really happened is still obscured.
In the meantime, the condition of Louise’s health is becoming worse with noticeable signs of distress. Her mother, Dawn (Deirdre O’Connell), who is obsessed with conspiracy theories, has moved in with Joe and Louise due to pandemic lockdown restrictions. Consequently, this situation pushes Louise towards a local self-help expert named Vernon Jefferson Peak (Austin Butler). Alarmingly, Vernon’s supposedly motivational talks are increasingly displaying characteristics typical of a dangerous cult.
Rising Tensions & Conflict
Fueled by his frustration with current events and his intense dislike for Mayor Ted Garcia, Joe impulsively decides to launch his own campaign to become mayor. To manage this effort, he recruits his two somewhat incompetent deputies, Guy (Luke Grimes) and Michael (Michael Ward). Moreover, the national Black Lives Matter protest through Eddington is also of paramount importance. This wave of protests brings about dramatic clashes between local law enforcement, led by Joe, and protesters. Naturally, such local confrontations are flocked to by non-transparent outside groups or individuals. Facing this mounting pressure, Sheriff Joe Cross begins making a series of increasingly dubious and ethically questionable decisions.
Aster’s Evolution Captured
Eddington owes much of its aura to Ari Aster’s journey in film production. The plot of the movie has a wide range of well-developed and well-put characters and many intriguing, interwoven stories in the same way as it was in the action of “Beau is Afraid,” but the way the film is organized is way more reader-suggested and carefully thought through, giving us the vibes from Hereditary and ‘Midsommar’. Of course, opposite to Ari Aster’s heroine’s colors, the film portrays five characters already destined for a dark end from the very beginning, and not only are they ignorant of it, but they continue to lead their normal lives as if nothing was going on, which is a distinct trademark of the filmmaker.
This culmination is indeed very potent and gives the movie a rewarding feeling. Besides, director Aster and cinematographer Darius Khondji consistently wish to keep the visual cool, almost natural appearance for the longest period of the movie. They took such an intentional style to the visual part of the movie to make the transition of the story from initial little anxiety to full-fledged paranoia more gradual and thus, quite mind-boggling as opposed to the more sudden scares which were customarily found in Mano’s other horror films.
Political Fire Handling
“Eddington” is not at all a one-sided or solely argumentative picture, and if anyone thinks so, they are greatly mistaken. Yet, director Ari Aster is partially to blame for the ignorance, as he veered the film directly into the territory of the wide-ranging, intense, and explosive matters that are central to the current political debates. As previously noted, a substantial majority of the complex societal issues America intensely grappled with back in 2020 have stubbornly persisted into 2025, regardless of some people’s strong wishes or even mistaken beliefs that they have disappeared (it’s crucial to remember COVID-19 remains an actively circulating virus).
Consequently, Aster quite correctly does not claim to offer definitive solutions for any of the difficult problems his movie “Eddington” brings to light. Nevertheless, the simple act of directly confronting these unresolved, raw issues within the film arguably borders on being socially or artistically irresponsible given their current sensitivity.
Metaphor’s Diminished Impact
The word “borders” plays a very significant role in the entire conversation because they are the only acceptable and logical choice that Aster could have made, only through stand-ins in the entire film. For example, he could have made up a virus that did not exist, or he could have carried out a different social movement instead of the current Black Lives Matter. Then, “Eddington” would not just lose its fiercely critical tone, it would turn into what it actually is, a cycle of time-excessive parody. And if a non-professional, or a director dealing with simple issues, had directed this movie, the result could have been less harmonious. In that case, “Eddington’s distinct refusal to artificially present ‘both sides’ of these polarizing issues while simultaneously declining to firmly endorse any single political viewpoint would almost certainly result in a deeply offensive and chaotic cinematic mess.
Aster’s Murky Morality Saves It
Without question, some critics and viewers will still level this exact accusation of being an offensive mess against “Eddington” anyway; indeed, several reviews emerging from the film’s premiere at the Cannes Film Festival have already done so. Yet, looking at Aster’s complete body of work, there is no doubt that “Eddington” fits perfectly and naturally within his established artistic universe, slotting in as neatly as any of his prior films. This is primarily because the profound moral ambiguity and ethical murkiness central to “Eddington” are clearly visible as core themes in every single movie he has directed.
The major difference this time, however, is that the untidy morality portrayed on screen is not something that only a few of the audience can relate to theoretically; on the contrary, it specifically brings out the various sometimes contradictory, and often complex ethical conflicts that each of us have gone through in person in these challenging years, and probably still deal with it regularly. In the final analysis, the question of whether each individual in the audience feels ready and willing to openly admit this uneasy reflection of our common reality as a part of the movie’s content, or, on the contrary, they would rather be those who express their anger to Ari Aster for having the audacity to uncover the elephant in the national room, is solely their personal decision.
Dynamic Duo Delivers
Despite “Eddington” deliberately refusing to offer neat solutions for the complex political and moral questions it confronts, this doesn’t mean the film itself becomes a frustrating experience overall. The most outstanding thing about the movie is how frequently it turns out to be enjoyable and also a wonderful watch. Probably the primary reason for this unexpected achievement is the dynamic and at the same time, creative partnership between the director Ari Aster and the main actor Joaquin Phoenix. By simply being together, they can show an amazing synergy and therefore, they have made their names in the list of the greatest collaborators, such as Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, and Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone. In addition, his Sheriff Joe Cross’ role in “Eddington” is one of the most brilliant character portrayals, for Phoenix, in the film business.
Phoenix’s Complex Joe
Phoenix masterfully navigates Joe’s character, constantly shifting between appearing like a smart, principled ordinary man and revealing himself as a potentially dishonorable, even cowardly figure. Importantly, Phoenix avoids the simplistic choice of portraying Joe as either entirely fake or just secretly flawed. Instead, he crafts a deeply complex and unpredictable characterization. This rich portrayal significantly elevates the performances of the actors sharing scenes with Phoenix. They clearly relish the challenge and opportunity his performance provides, feeding off his energy which, in turn, deepens their own characterizations. Pedro Pascal, a prominent figure in recent film and television, delivers one of his most captivating performances here as Mayor Ted Garcia. Simply comparing his role in “Eddington” to his work in “Materialists” effectively highlights Pascal’s impressive, subtly expressed acting range.
Aster’s Expanding Range
Moreover, it’s essential to recognize how Ari Aster himself continues to grow and transform as a filmmaker through “Eddington.” Although there are a few incidents in the film that are truly meant to scare the pants off you, the primary attitude of the project is more about showcasing the significant potential of the director’s talent. He is very confident and does not restrict himself to the dark side, but continues to explore the fields of comedy and satire that he first revealed in “Beau is Afraid.” In the end, he reaches such a level of absurd brilliance that it will not be an exaggeration to say that the ensemble can be likened favorably to the Coen Brothers.
Significantly, what Aster expertly displays in “Eddington” is a newfound sense of restraint. “Beau is Afraid” represented Aster operating without limits, a film where reality shattered so completely it became utterly unrecognizable. While “Eddington” unquestionably descends into its own brand of insanity, its most powerful and effective creative decision is maintaining a grip on believability, never allowing events to spiral completely beyond the realm of what feels disturbingly possible within our current world.
Embracing Ambiguity
A large majority of individuals can hardly tolerate aspects that remain unresolved in artworks, particularly in films, and that is precisely why “Eddington” may be confusing for some people watching it. The sense of vagueness that most people associate with the movie in question is its political themes that have been hinted at beforehand. Nevertheless, at the core, this vagueness affects almost every aspect of the movie as well. For instance, the characters’ backgrounds, their true goals, and the motivations of the characters who play the main roles are left inherently vague and ambiguous enough to be possible to interpreted differently.
As a result, the effect of clarity is very strongly felt and exceedingly uncomfortable when Ari Aster and “Eddington” deliberately achieve the opposite and particularly with Sheriff Joe Cross and his progressively dubious behavior. This unexpected feeling is what makes them so different from those moments when the whole film is operating with a certain level of ambiguity.
This deliberate commitment to uncertainty fundamentally shapes the entire film, extending powerfully all the way to its conclusion. This ending is another major aspect that highlights Aster’s development as a director. The way the endings of his previous horror movies such as “Hereditary” and “Midsommar” were very visually detailed and left the audience with a very dark kind of finality, “Eddington” goes even further by not giving the audience any kind of closure. Aster, instead, makes the audience experience a deep and persistent uncertainty that they still feel long after the film has ended. This is a big change and a sign of the new narrative style of his storytelling.
Lingering Power, Not Nihilism
Naturally, these deliberate choices can make experiencing “Eddington” feel initially unsatisfying for some viewers seeking clear answers or resolutions. Yet, despite this potential initial reaction, the film possesses an undeniable, lingering power. This film never gives the impression of being diluted, restricted, or having its concept compromised. Thus, its disturbing mood, intricate personalities, and ambiguous conflicts, which are still active elements of the viewer’s memory, continue to arouse the viewer’s thoughts and discussions for days after the viewing. Besides that, while “Eddington” is very close to some other complicated films in terms of the themes it covers, this movie is quite different. It does not become one of those huge, messy, and nihilistic stories like Richard Kelly’s “Southland Tales,” and at the same time, it also does not go towards being just a symbolic, slightly disguised critique of today’s issues like Robert Altman’s legendary “Nashville.”
Raw Nerve of Reality
Furthermore, although “Eddington” skillfully utilizes familiar genre elements such as Western tropes and thriller conventions, Aster isn’t merely using them as a shield or hiding place. The film is like a raw, open nerve. It leaves no space for imagination with its stark and very detailed portrayal of the troubled, divided, and nervous America that it has found itself bound to. Most importantly, “Eddington” doesn’t in the slightest bit show off the typical artistic arrogance of such kind; it neither arrogantly implies that these complex societal issues have a resolved ending, nor does it fake providing an obvious way forward or a simple answer.
In a nutshell, the film is a gesture of the most basic, but extremely uncomfortable, human acknowledgment. So, while a single film is not capable of fixing the country’s deep-seated issues, “Eddington” may be a vital, though difficult, step towards a greater comprehension of not only where we are now as a society, but also who we have become collectively and what possible future steps might be necessary to get there.
