Ari Aster's new movie, Eddington, is a difficult and sometimes disturbing look at a certain time in recent history. The movie takes place in May 2020 and shows a little hamlet in New Mexico dealing with the early days of the pandemic and the growing culture conflicts. Eddington, which stars Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, and Emma Stone, has gotten a lot of attention since it came out. This article looks at the movie's many layers, its place in Aster's body of work, and the different reviews it has gotten.
The Premise: Setting the Stage in May 2020
Eddington is set in a made-up hamlet in New Mexico in May 2020. The story is about Sheriff Joe Cross, played by Joaquin Phoenix, and Mayor Ted Garcia, played by Pedro Pascal, who don't get along. Their political and personal feud takes place against a backdrop of mask mandates, conspiracy theories, and the wider effects of George Floyd's death. The movie shows how people in solitude are restless as a group, where real anger and false information mix. It illustrates a community dealing with changes in reality and higher levels of stress.
Ari Aster's Unique Style: From Scary to Funny (and Back?)
Ari Aster is known for making movies that stick with people. His early works, Hereditary and Midsommar, made him known as a master of psychological horror. With Beau Is Afraid, Aster went into a darker and more surreal area, looking at issues of anxiety and the pressures of society. Eddington's style has changed again. It isn't a horror movie in the usual sense, but it nonetheless has Aster's trademark ability to make people feel very uncomfortable. He looks at people's worries about society via a satirical perspective, mixing dark comedy with times of deep uneasiness. The movie continues his examination of how weak people are and how order breaks down, but in a different genre.
Main actors: Phoenix, Pascal, Stone, and Ward
Joaquin Phoenix plays Sheriff Joe Cross
Joaquin Phoenix plays Sheriff Joe Cross in a very complicated way. Joe is a shy person who has trouble talking to people in person. He wants to show a more self-assured side of himself online. Phoenix shows the character's inner struggle as he tries to be in charge in a chaotic world while his personal life falls apart. His performance shows how different a person's online and real-life existence may be.
Pedro Pascal as the Mayor Ted Garcia: The Political Split
Pedro Pascal is Joe's political rival, Mayor Ted Garcia. Garcia is a smooth-talking person who seems to be corrupt. He is on the other side of the political spectrum. Pascal does a great job of showing the difference between the mayor's public and private lives. The relationship between Phoenix and Pascal is what makes the main conflict in the movie.
Supporting Roles with Impact: Emma Stone and Michael Ward
Louise, Joe's wife, is played by Emma Stone. Some critics thought that her subplot with a cult leader named Vernon didn't fit with the main story. Michael Ward plays Michael, the only Black police officer in the town. People have been paying a lot of attention to his character's involvement at protests against police brutality. In the movie, protesters question Michael's point of view, making a strong statement about racism and policing at that time.
Culture wars, false information, and being alone are some of the themes that are explored.
Eddington clearly talks about the culture battles in America. It shows a society that is very divided because of different points of view and stories online. The movie doesn't hold back on either side; it tries to show the dread and confusion that everyone felt at the time.
How the Internet Makes People Paranoid
Eddington is all about the internet. Characters use their phones and social media to distribute false information and consume it. Online content makes people paranoid and makes local fights worse. The movie claims that being online all the time can change how you see the world. It shows how people become so wrapped up in what they see on their devices.
The Pandemic is the Background, Not the Main Event
The pandemic itself is more of a background than the main theme, even though it takes place in the early days of COVID-19. The movie uses the time of being alone and not knowing what would happen next to show how society fell apart. It looks at how the stress of the epidemic made ideological disagreements worse and made communities more tense.
A comparison between Eddington and Beau Is Afraid in terms of style and theme
Eddington and Beau Is Afraid both show Ari Aster's interest in uneasiness and social unrest. Beau Is Afraid showed a very personal nightmare, a trip through the fears that one man couldn't handle. Eddington changes the focus to a nightmare that affects everyone in society. It shows a community that is having a hard time because of outside forces and problems within. In both movies, the main characters are overwhelmed by things that are out of their control. They employ dark humor and absurdity to say something about what it means to be human. Beau Is Afraid looks more at the inside of people, whereas Eddington looks at how outside events affect the behavior of individuals and groups.
How to make movies: cinematography, sound, and symbols
Aster's Use of Dark Humor and Ridiculousness
Aster uses dark humor and silly scenarios to make the movie's satirical parts stand out. This way, he can talk about important things without losing his unique artistic voice. The characters' over-the-top reactions and the crazy circumstances they get themselves into are what make the humor funny.
Visual Storytelling and Tension in the Air
The cinematography in Eddington adds a lot to the mood of the movie. Aster utilizes pictures to show how isolated the village is and how the tension is rising. The shots often show how empty the New Mexico landscape is, which is a sharp contrast to the bustling, noisy world that the protagonists live in online. This way of showing things helps make people feel that something bad is about to happen.
Sound Design and Score: Making the Experience Better
The sound design and score of the movie are quite important for making it feel creepy. The continual cacophony from news feeds and online conversations makes the soundscape unpredictable. This shows how overwhelming the amount of information was during the pandemic. The score often adds to the suspense, making the viewer feel more connected to the protagonists' worries.
How the Audience Reacted and What Critics Said
People have said a lot of bad things about Eddington. Because it deals directly with delicate issues from the recent past, it has gotten a lot of different reactions. Some others believed it was a good and thought-provoking look at the time. Some people thought it was too cynical or didn't take a clear enough stand on the problems it brought up.
"Eddington" perfectly conveys the claustrophobic fear of 2020, when reality fell apart and the internet became a war zone. A genuine picture of the times we live in.
Ari Aster keeps pushing the limits. "Eddington" is a funny blow to the gut that shows his genius goes far beyond the tragedy of "Beau Is Afraid."
In "Eddington," Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal give electric performances that make Aster's wild vision unforgettable and disturbing.
If "Beau Is Afraid" was a nightmare for you, "Eddington" is a nightmare for everyone. Aster's newest work is a beautiful yet uncomfortable reflection on our recent past.
"Eddington" isn't just a movie; it's a way to start a discourse. Ari Aster is brave enough to talk about the raw nerves of our culture warfare with complete honesty.
There have also been arguments about when the movie should come out. Some people wonder if it's too soon to talk about the pandemic and the political divisions that came with it. Some people say that it is still relevant because of its topics, which makes it a good movie for the period. Aster has said that he wanted to take a "omni-partisan" approach, which means he wanted to understand the worries that drive people on both sides of the cultural divide. This point of view has made the movie's reception more divided.
What does the end of Eddington mean?
Like many of Aster's movies, the ending of Eddington is open to interpretation. It ends with a chaotic and violent scene that shows how the town's order has broken down. The end of the movie shows that paranoia and ideological strife that aren't kept in balance can have bad effects. It doesn't provide you easy answers. Instead, it makes people think about what happens when society is divided and what happens when reality is broken.
Who Should See Eddington? What We Think
Not everyone will like Eddington. Fans of Ari Aster's other work, especially those who liked how experimental Beau Is Afraid was, will probably have a lot to talk about. People who like political satires that question common stories might also find it interesting. People who like movies that deal with recent historical events and how they affect society will find it interesting. But people who want a simple story or a feel-good experience should be mindful of its uncomfortable tone and difficult issues. The point of the movie is to make people think and talk, not necessarily to make them feel good.
Ari Aster's Eddington is a forceful statement. It keeps him on the path of being a filmmaker who isn't scared to face hard truths. The movie may be controversial, but it is important because it is willing to deal with the painful parts of our recent past. It is a very clear reminder of the fears that formed an important time in contemporary history.