R | 2h 28m | Drama, Comedy | 2025
The noir-ish comic Western “Eddington” is, in part, about an ideological standoff between two small-town community leaders. It’s set against the backdrop of the early pandemic days, when heretofore normal society found itself suddenly divided, and BLM protests swept a nation that had just been forced indoors and left to (and with, and on) their own devices.
Two Leaders
“Eddington” is hands-down Joaquin Phoenix’s movie. He plays anti-mask, conspiratorial, well-intended-but-ultimately-corrupt, small-town Sheriff Joe Cross, a polarizing figure in the fictitious small New Mexico town of Eddington, where he lives with his psychologically unwell wife, Louise (Emma Stone).
Joe’s mother-in-law Dawn (Deirdre O’Connell) is his permanent, pandemic houseguest. Joe spends his time listening to right-wing talk radio and politely (while alarmingly close to blowing a gasket) attempting to navigate his way around pandemic mandates.
When at home, Joe usually finds Louise and Dawn comfortably ensconced in their own separate online rabbit holes. Louise relishes the teachings of new age-y guru Vernon Jefferson Peak (Austin Butler, underused), while Dawn constantly consumes and parrots hilariously outlandish YouTube conspiracy theories.
On the opposite end of the proverbial high noon showdown on main street is liberal Mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal), whose positive demeanor and pro-masking stance irks Joe, though Joe’s out-of-proportion vehemence may have more to do with something that transpired long ago between Ted and Joe’s wife.
Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix, L) and mayor Ted Garcia argue about mask-wearing in “Eddington.” (A24)Pandemic Grab Bag
“Eddington” shifts in tone from broad political send-up to crime mystery after a key turn in the plot about midway through, but overall, “Eddington” is a sprawling and unflinching portrait of what America was and would soon morph into. It’s likely to give you whiplash as it tries to encompass the full period-piece façade of the pandemic.
You’ve got your social distancing, your political campaigns, “peaceful” protests by froth-mouthed, irate teens; mercenary Antifa agents cruising in G6 luxury jets with military-grade weaponry to sow discord (presented as some kind of shadowy organization run by unseen Bond villains); George Floyd’s polarizing visage; Karen-ism, virtue-signaling; “white privilege” and so-called systemic racism; relations with indigenous tribes; and climate change.
The Grand Finale—it goes out with a bang. Eventually assassination and a hellfire of M-60 machine gun bullets erase faces in the middle of the desert. “Eddington” has a shocking but cartoonish amount of violence.
Paper Cuts
On the serious side, “Eddington” is willing to touch subjects others wouldn’t with a 10-foot pole. However, “Eddington” sidles up to complex issues with lip-licking intention to gut them, but instead of really drawing blood, it just nicks their surfaces before quickly removing the razor. Given its two-and-a-half-hour runtime, it’s not a particularly impactful approach; director Aster is spinning far too many plates.
As counterpoint, it’s also often bitterly hysterical, with Aster (who also wrote the film) flexing his comedic chops. The ability to be blackly and grotesquely funny is solidly within Joaquin Phoenix’s wheelhouse. The film’s final three minutes are so off-the-charts wrong in hilarious ways, I’m sorely tempted to provide a spoiler.
After Effects
Any film attempting to embody the polarization of present-day America can be assured of an equally polarizing reception. Even in the middle of the press screening, during an extended period of film-critic chuckling, Karen (a woman sitting in the back) shrilly intones to all experiencing sensations of mirth, “Why are you laughing??!!”
“Eddington” will likely engender retrospective dialogue regarding the pandemic. Aster packs a host of accurate jabs into one film, allowing viewers to watch a well-constructed diagram of our disturbing recent reality.
While Aster clearly wants to weigh in on the current moral and political putrefaction of the American soul, despite a pose of satirical neutrality, it’s safe to say he ultimately comes down on the side of the mask-wearing young progressives shouting “Systemic-racism-in-America!” That might put “Eddington” in the same boat as the currently playing (and recently reviewed here) “Sovereign.”
For example, one of the right-leaning characters, portrayed as the most evil out of all the various little evils running around, ends up with a big butcher knife stuck in his head. It turns him into a quadriplegic who must henceforth and forevermore suffer all manner of bed-pan hell. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
“Eddington” opens in theaters Friday, July 18.
‘Eddington’
Director: Ari Aster
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Austin Butler, Deirdre O’Connell
MPAA rating: R
Running Time: 2 hours, 28 minutes
Release Date: July 18, 2025
Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5
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