Eddington

What a mess of a movie. One thing this did so well was actually show the way how much politics divided people since the start of the pandemic. The way people became passionate about their beliefs and how they reacted to it was pretty spot on, unlike anything else that has been. But this still leans to one side by simply being given more than enough importance and center stage to stupidity as a normal belief system. Even with the aftereffects and hypocrisy being shown by both sides, the root of fundamental belief makes a difference, which, as fit for an American movie, this avoids addressing. Even without considering the political aspect, the narrative structure is a mess. Switching from rivalries, political tensions with satirical undertones, to gory shootouts, the movie swings hard, and at least it's weirdly interesting throughout.

I can only tell this is gonna be a very polarising film, people are going to love the ambition from Aster or call it a convoluted mess.

Depending on your views during the 2020s will severely determined your outlook on this film. Are you able to laugh at the insanity or remain serious at the severity of events that transpired.

Eddington is ultimately a satire on the comedic ridiculousness and tumultuous times of the 2020's. Eddington in itself is the main character. It's a macrocosom of events that impacted the US but obviously ramps them up to 11.

I appreciate the craft and the film was at its best when it was reminiscent of the Coen's No Country For Old Men. The 2nd act elevated the implemented satire to a contemporary western crime thriller.

The film is hit or miss in its summary. I understand the message and themes but at some points the execution is lacking. I feel like it tried to juggle a lot of themes and messages. Maybe sticking to one or two would have made the film more tight and succinct.

Its thesis is clear. We're all hypocrites. How the old generation has a stick up their ***, too rigid to embrace meaningful change, while the younger generation-damned from birth by social screens, performs outrage on Instagram in hopes of sleeping with Sarah.

Ari Aster skewers each political perspective, which in turn makes up a large majority of unhappy letterboxd reviewers, ironically complementing the film's punchline. No matter where you stand, it's naive to believe stupidity is exclusive to one side.

All in all, it's a film less concerned with who's right and more obsessed with how dumb it all looks from a distance.

Eddington feels like being locked in a room with your own thoughts...while those thoughts are armed and slightly unhinged. The pacing is tight, the plot twists keep you leaning forward, and just when your anxiety peaks, it throws in a gut-punch of humor that somehow makes it all feel human again.

It's a rare film that can make you laugh and feel like you need to sit quietly in a dark room afterward just to process what you watched. This is that film. Smart, offbeat, unsettling, and genuinely entertaining. Eddington doesn't just keep you intrigued, it lingers long after the credits roll.

Finally, a film addresses the giant elephant in the room that in the last five years has sent the country spiralling even further into political and identity tribalism, the ascendance of authoritarianism, etc., which the media likes to pretend it never stoked (as if Jan. 6th was all based on one discontented president's rhetoric and not also on thousands of jobs lost due to shutdowns): the Covid-19 Pandemic. The ever busy Pedro Pascal and always adventurous Joaquin Phoenix are great as Mayor and Sheriff at political odds in the tiny town of Eddington, New Mexico (really Truth or Consequences) with mask restrictions that drove many a citizen crazy in 2020-1 (the plot only seems a bit of an overreach by conflating AI into the mix, an issue that really didn't enter the national conversation until late 2022 at the earliest). Emma Stone is very funny as Joaquin's doll-obsessed, frigid wife, and the film has a charming, homespun quality that recalls other New Mexico-set films like "Welcome To Mooseport" and "White Sands" (I tried to be an extra when it filmed a year ago this past April but missed the window, finding only "Welcome Eddington!" marquees at various drive-ins). With NM's usually vibrant film scene slowed to a snail's pace due to tariffs and such (Superman was essentially fighting a fitter, younger Don), it's great we still have challenging, well-written films like this emerging in 2025 among all the usual play-it-safe remakes and reboots. Check out Eddington; at least it'll give you something to talk about.