Director Ari Aster Trades psychological horror for social and political commentary in his new neo-western political thriller, Eddington. There aren’t the scares and bone-chilling gore fans may remember from his last projects. However, there’s still plenty of chaos, madness, and a few moments of impressive violence and SFX.
The film centers around Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) and his campaign for mayor against incumbent Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal). As tensions rise around the local election and COVID mandates, the town unravels, fueled by personal vendettas and political chaos.
The entire cast gives excellent performances, including supporting performances from Emma Stone and Austin Butler. However, the intimate and understated performances of the leading men are the highlight. Accompanied by Aster’s signature surreal cinematography, the film expertly depicts the quiet tension between Phoenix and Pascal.
Although this story has a rich cast of characters, it feels like the film struggles to keep track of them all. A fraction of the cast feels forgotten in the third act, without coming back to resolve the plot. The element of surprise is there, but the film leaves the viewer with unanswered questions. Minor character arcs are underdeveloped or finished hastily. The inconsistency stains an otherwise detailed and well-thought-out screenplay.
Chaos, Catharsis, And The Cost Of Political Critique
Throughout the film, characters in the fictional Sevilla County debate several issues all at once. The film discusses mask mandates, race politics, police brutality, and relations with the neighboring Pueblo reservation. The script is sharp, but juggling so many topics tends to muddle the film’s tone for the viewer. The balance between being a political thriller versus dark comedy is sensitive, and some viewers may find it off-putting.
The film tries to tackle every issue facing Americans in 2020 at once. This is arguably overwhelming and undercuts the excellent screenwriting. However, Aster provides a surprisingly balanced critique. The film isn’t taking a strong political stance either way; it exhibits hypocrisy and apathy on either side of American politics.
There’s no denying that the twist halfway through the film is a shocking one. It’s a strong start to the off-the-wall second half. For those who lived through 2020, there’s something satisfying about this arc. Global issues create chaos the characters have no idea how to deal with. The audience sees the situation lose control and self-destruct— which, in a way, is cathartic.
Aster’s Style: Different Flavors Of Drama
Although Eddington is a stark departure from the psychological horror films, Aster has made up to this point. It maintains certain hallmarks of his style that fans of his can appreciate outside the bounds of genre.
Strange Shots
Eddington is Aster’s first film working with cinematographer Darius Kohndji. His three previous feature projects have had cinematography by Pawel Pogorzelski. This film does have a clear difference visually, but Aster’s style still has some consistency.
In Eddington, Aster uses more visual alienation shots, like ones he’s experimented with before in films such as Midsommar. These shots symbolize a disconnect between characters in a scene, which is a key theme in a film about COVID.
Going Mad
All of Aster’s films thus far have been about a spiral into madness, whether it be a family, a young woman, or a disabled man. Eddington broadens its scope to explore a whole town. Characters go mad from the combination of isolation and misinformed influences during a confusing and frightening time.
In an interview in The Academy Collection, Aster summarizes his film as a story of people in a vacuum. He hoped to make an empathic film dynamically, where the audience feels for all the different characters of the story.
Always Recording, Always Performing
Aster fans who have seen Beau Is Afraid will recognize the motif of cell phone recording in Eddington. Beau Is Afraid, Aster’s third feature directorial project, tells a nightmare story of a man with severe paranoia.
In that film, many characters film Beau with their cell phone flash, to a horrifying effect. This comes up in Eddington, as every character is constantly under surveillance of social media. Recording is the means of holding people accountable in the modern day, and it’s a terrifying institution during the chaos of the film.
This film is not what many Aster fans expected. Still, if audiences can stick through a thorough exposition, they will be able to appreciate it as it evolves into a political satire and an action-packed thriller. For survivors of the 2020 social climate, the film is a messy and cathartic watch that is ultimately worth sticking out.
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