Introduction
Every so often, a director comes along whose singular visual style and storytelling acumen capture the attention of cinephiles. Of recent notoriety, writer/director Ari Aster has become one of the most revered filmmakers today. With his home run debut feature Hereditary and follow-up critic darling Midsommar, Aster’s artistic detail and masterful slow-burn style has earned the filmmaker legions of fans eager for his next project.
Though his often-maligned third effort, Beau Is Afraid, didn’t resonate with everyone, its creation enabled the beginning of a dynamic partnership with leading man Joaquin Phoenix. The duo teams up again for Eddington, with Aster again taking on writing and directing duties.
Synopsis
In Eddington, Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) is the sheriff of the titular New Mexico town during the COVID-19 lockdown. People waiting in lines 6 feet apart, mask mandates, and take-out only at local restaurants transport the audience to a very specific era in our recent history. As a pandemic skeptic, Cross’s usual small-town logic doesn’t fly in the panic-stricken community, and he soon finds himself at odds with Mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal).
As their beef escalates, so do tensions around Eddington. Social media and the 24-hour news cycle churn out stories of pandemic fatalities, the George Floyd tragedy and protests, and the multitude of conspiracy theories propagated by keyboard cowboys. On top of it all, a deal with a giant data company threatens to make the quaint community subject to new corporate overlords. As expected, this powder keg of personal vendettas and ego finally explodes. And like most Aster films, when things go sideways, they go big.
Discussion
Eddington is Ari Aster’s most mainstream-feeling movie to date. At times contemplative and emotional, a majority of the film feels like a fun, quirky crime thriller. Think of the Coen Brothers, but with that clear underpinning of dread that Aster so expertly weaves into the fabric of his projects. From the sheriff’s sidekicks to the clichéd woke mayor, a lot of Eddington has an uncharacteristically comical vibe.
Subnarratives interwoven between Cross and Garcia’s central riff give the film much of its emotional punch. Cross’s quarantined and depressed wife, Louise (Emma Stone), is persuaded by silver-tongued conspiracy theorist Vernon (Austin Butler). And Garcia’s son gives a glimpse into the adolescent perspective, examining privilege, virtue signaling, and the ubiquitous influence of social media on screenagers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL6jZqExlIk
A tonal 180-degree turn in the third act nullifies all the dramatic buildup with a rash of violence and mayhem. While finding resolution in bloodshed is problematic, the release of the building tension works brilliantly nonetheless. Embracing the “quiet loud quiet” dogma, the eventual anticlimactic conclusion feels as appropriate as it is unsettling.
Performances
In the lead role as Sheriff Joe Cross, Phoenix delivers his singular brand of the tortured Everyman. Small town Sheriff edition. While he gets to throw around a good bit of bravado, Phoenix shines in Cross’s vulnerable moments. The sympathy Phoenix garners makes his character’s later actions all the more impactful.
Pedro Pascal plays Mayor Garcia with a subtle air of condescending entitlement. Though his character is mostly likable and seemingly defensible, Pascal keeps something smarmy right under the surface to keep everyone guessing.
Emma Stone wows as the troubled Louise. Stone’s performance captures the depression, isolation, and fear that many people experienced as shut-ins during the pandemic. Her plight makes it easy to see how people could be swept away or even radicalized so easily by the daily doom.
Though several other supporting performances stand out, Austin Butler continues his Hollywood domination with a captivating turn as cult-ish leader Vernon. With his intense gaze and pulpit-worthy cadence, Butler gives enigmatic prophet vibes without being completely insufferable. The cherry on top of a colorful cast of delightful characters.
Further Analysis
Aster may be the first major director to fully realize a cohesive narrative in the context of COVID-19. While the central plot could be a standalone story, the way that the pandemic and the sensationalism of the time inform the arc of Eddington is fascinating and frighteningly familiar.
Literal teenage gossip that sows eventual chaos serves as a metaphor for the real-life rampant misinformation and ensuing fallout of the era. Aster even tackles dirty cops and shameful misconduct.
It could be argued that Aster packs too much commentary into one film. In addition to the above-mentioned issues, the movie tackles many more. From opposing pandemic opinions to Q Anon and the #metoo of the week, to more subtle observations like stockpiles of toilet paper or an Amazon truck trying to get through a crowd of protesters, Eddington covers a ton of ground. And true to form, there are creepy dolls.
Conclusion
Eddington is a compelling post-mortem on pandemic times amid a quirky small-town crime thriller. Ari Aster perfects the dramatic simmer, building intrigue and dread frame after frame. When the pressure valve is finally released, Aster, in usual fashion, leaves us with an oddly satisfying, albeit unnerving, conclusion.
A24 is releasing Eddington in theaters everywhere on July 18.
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