Ari Aster's Wild Ride 'Eddington' Is Finally Streaming: Here's What to Know

Get ready for a chaotic ride as Ari Aster's star-studded, divisive contemporary Western, Eddington, arrives on HBO Max this November! This is your ultimate guide to the film everyone's talking about.

TL;DR: The Quick Scoop on Eddington

• Ari Aster's new film, Eddington, is hitting HBO Max exclusively on Friday, November 14, 2025, with an HBO linear TV debut on Saturday, November 15, at 8 PM ET.
• It's a satirical neo-Western political drama set in May 2020 in a fictional New Mexico town, focusing on an explosive standoff between a right-wing sheriff and a liberal mayor.
• The movie boasts an incredible ensemble cast including Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, and Austin Butler, tackling intense and divisive socio-political themes.

Diving Deep into Ari Aster's Highly Anticipated New Film

Hey film fanatics! Get ready to clear your schedules because Ari Aster, the visionary director behind modern horror classics like Hereditary and Midsommar, is bringing his latest mind-bender, Eddington, straight to your screens. After a theatrical run that sparked some serious conversations (and a nearly seven-minute standing ovation at Cannes!), this neo-Western political drama is set to make its exclusive U.S. streaming debut on HBO Max. If you missed it in theaters, now's your chance to jump into the fray and see what all the fuss is about!

Aster is known for films that linger in your mind, and Eddington promises to be no different, albeit with a fresh twist. Departing from his signature psychological horror, this movie plunges headfirst into the tumultuous landscape of May 2020, a year that felt like a movie itself. We're talking COVID-19 lockdowns, massive social protests, and a political climate that felt like it was constantly on the verge of exploding. Sounds intense, right? That's exactly what Aster delivers.

Exploring the Heart of the Chaos in Eddington, New Mexico

The story of Eddington unfolds in a fictional small town in New Mexico (though much of the film was shot in the real-life Truth or Consequences, NM). It’s May 2020, and the world is reeling. In Eddington, a powder keg is ignited when Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix), the town’s outspoken, right-wing sheriff, finds himself in a bitter standoff with Mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal), a self-promoting liberal.

Cross is portrayed as an opponent of face masks and social distancing, campaigning against Garcia's re-election on an anti-mask platform. Meanwhile, Mayor Garcia, despite lecturing others about COVID restrictions, is shown to be flouting them himself, all while pushing for the construction of a massive data center by a tech company called “Solidgoldmagikarp.” The proposed data center is a hot-button issue, raising concerns about environmental and social impact.

The personal lives of these characters are just as entangled. Sheriff Cross struggles to connect with his wife, Louise (Emma Stone), who grapples with chronic mental and physical maladies. Louise finds herself drawn to Vernon Jefferson Peak (Austin Butler), a manipulative cult leader whose Christian-fascist sermons are peppered with bizarre tales. Cross's rage culminates in a public accusation against Mayor Garcia, alleging a past sexual assault on Louise – an accusation she denies, sending Cross into a tailspin.

Unpacking the Tumultuous Events of May 2020 Within the Film

As if the local political battle wasn't enough, the global protest movement against police violence, ignited by the murder of George Floyd, reaches Eddington. Mayor Garcia’s teenage son, Eric (Matt Gomez Hidaka), sees the protests as a chance to project a "socially conscious" image. His friend Brian (Cameron Mann) joins, hoping to get closer to Sarah (Amélie Hoeferle), a young activist deeply involved in racial identity politics, who advocates for concepts like "white abolitionists." The film explores these protest dynamics, including Brian’s initial discomfort with the racialist rhetoric before he learns to parrot it himself.

Adding another layer of unsettling mystery, a group of heavily armed operatives, disguised as protesters, descends upon Eddington, staging bombings and acts of bloody violence. This escalation pushes the town further into chaos, with Sheriff Cross manipulating facts to demonize the protest movement, labeling them an "Antifa terrorist group." It’s a complex, multi-layered narrative that attempts to capture the fragmented realities and heightened anxieties of that intense period.

A Stellar Ensemble Cast Bringing These Intense Characters to Life

When you've got Ari Aster at the helm, you know he's going to draw some serious talent, and Eddington is no exception. The film boasts an incredible lineup of A-list actors who dive deep into these challenging roles:

• Joaquin Phoenix as Joe Cross, the right-wing sheriff at the center of the town's unraveling.
• Pedro Pascal as Mayor Ted Garcia, the liberal politician pushing his agenda amidst the chaos.
• Emma Stone as Louise, Sheriff Cross's troubled wife.
• Austin Butler as Vernon Jefferson Peak, the charismatic cult leader.
• Luke Grimes as Officer Guy.
• Micheal Ward as Officer Michael.
• Amélie Hoeferle as Sarah, the young activist.
• Matt Gomez Hidaka as Eric Garcia, the mayor's son.
• Cameron Mann as Brian, Sarah's politically confused friend.
• Also featuring: Deirdre O’Connell, Clifton Collins Jr. (as Lodge, a local vagrant), and William Belleau.

This powerhouse cast ensures that no matter how wild the plot gets, the performances are grounded and compelling, which is absolutely essential for a film that tackles such sensitive and complex themes.

Behind the Camera: Ari Aster's Unique Vision and Inspiration for Eddington

Ari Aster has certainly made a name for himself with his distinctive directorial style, moving from the deeply disturbing psychological horror of Hereditary and Midsommar to the surreal and personal psychodrama of Beau is Afraid. Eddington marks another interesting evolution in his filmography, described as a "genre-bender" that mixes elements of a contemporary Western with political drama, satire, and even some dark comedy and frightening moments.

The inspiration for Eddington came directly from the intense and often overwhelming experience of living through May 2020. Aster himself shared his personal connection to the film's genesis:

"Eddington is the movie that Twitter built. I wanted to make a film about the landscape and about what it feels like to live in a world where nobody agrees on what’s happening and everybody distrusts everybody else. ... I wrote this film in a state of anxiety and worry and fear. And I feel like that’s a place that most of us are living in now. I feel totally powerless, and everything feels impossibly corrupt and compromised."

— Ari Aster, Writer-Director of Eddington

This quote really gives you a glimpse into the raw, anxious energy that fueled the film's creation. Aster's goal was to capture the pervasive sense of distrust and disagreement that characterized that period, reflecting a feeling of powerlessness that many can relate to.

The Road to Your Screen: All the Essential Release Details

Eddington has already had quite a journey. It premiered at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival earlier this year (2025), where it reportedly received an impressive nearly seven-minute standing ovation. Its theatrical release followed on July 18, 2025, and it later became available for VOD and digital purchase around mid-August 2025. You can even grab it on Blu-ray if you're a physical media collector, complete with bonus features!

But the big news for everyone is its streaming debut. Mark your calendars because Eddington will launch exclusively on HBO Max on Friday, November 14, 2025. For those who prefer the traditional TV experience, it will also air on the HBO linear channel the following night, Saturday, November 15, 2025, at 8:00 PM ET. So, no matter how you like to watch your movies, you'll have a way to experience Aster's latest.

Box Office Buzz and the Divided Critical and Audience Reactions

Despite the star power and buzz surrounding an Ari Aster film, Eddington had a bit of a bumpy ride at the box office. With a net production budget of around $25 million (after New Mexico tax credits), the film struggled to find its footing, ultimately grossing a modest $12.7 million to $13 million worldwide. Its domestic run ended with about $10.1 million in ticket sales. This performance led to estimates that A24, the film's financier and producer, could see losses ranging from $30 million to $40 million.

For context, this makes Eddington one of Aster's lower-grossing films, even compared to his equally divisive Beau is Afraid, which pulled in around $12 million against a $35 million budget. His earlier horror hits, Hereditary ($80 million worldwide on a $10 million budget) and Midsommar ($46.7 million worldwide on a $9 million budget), were much more financially successful.

Critically, Eddington has been, to put it mildly, "divisive" and "controversial." On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a lukewarm 69% from critics and a similar 65% from audiences (based on around 271-275 reviews). Reviewers praised the "stellar cast, fearless direction by Ari Aster and an off-kilter story," and noted its effectiveness in capturing the "uncertainty and hostility that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic."

However, the film also drew significant criticism for its "tonal misdirection," which some found led to an "unsatisfying conclusion." Other critiques cited the film's "confusion, cynicism and a misanthropic attitude toward society at large," suggesting it meandered without "making any effort to probe the roots of the crisis." Some felt it "mischaracterized" the George Floyd protests as purely "vapid racialism and performative activism," and that it made "concessions to the far right" by portraying the "fascistic sheriff... in a quasi-sympathetic light." Damon Wise of Deadline even noted the film "rips the Band-Aid off" societal issues like "QAnon, 4Chan and the Proud Boys," but acknowledged not everyone would want to look at what's underneath.

Why Eddington Continues to Spark Meaningful Discussions

Given its subject matter and Aster's bold approach, it's no surprise that Eddington became a lightning rod for debate, especially across social media. The film intentionally wades into the murky waters of contemporary American politics and social anxieties, reflecting Aster's own feelings of powerlessness and distrust during 2020. It's a satire that some critics found "bitterly hysterical" and others felt was "empty provocation for provocation's sake."

The film’s exploration of the COVID-19 pandemic, mask mandates, political polarization, and the complexities of the George Floyd protests, all through the lens of a small-town power struggle, is bound to hit differently for various viewers. It challenges audiences to confront uncomfortable reflections of a very recent past, portraying a world where "nobody agrees on what’s happening and everybody distrusts everybody else." This means that whether you love it, hate it, or are simply bewildered by it, Eddington is a film designed to make you think and, quite possibly, argue. It’s a snapshot of a moment in history that we're still processing, and Aster's take is definitely one to experience.

So, get ready to form your own opinion! With its streaming release on HBO Max, Eddington is poised to reach a much wider audience, undoubtedly reigniting discussions and debates about its themes, characters, and controversial portrayals. Grab some popcorn, settle in, and prepare for Ari Aster’s unique vision of a world turned upside down.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ari Aster's Eddington

When and where can I stream Ari Aster's Eddington?

Eddington will be available to stream exclusively on HBO Max starting Friday, November 14, 2025, in the U.S. It will also air on the HBO linear channel on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at 8:00 PM ET.

What is Eddington rated and what's its runtime?

The film is rated R. Its runtime is 149 minutes, so settle in for a substantial viewing experience!

Is Eddington a horror film like Aster's previous works?

No, Eddington is primarily a political drama and contemporary Western satire, not a horror film in the vein of Hereditary or Midsommar. While it does contain intense, chaotic, and sometimes frightening moments due to its subject matter, it's a significant genre departure for Ari Aster, also incorporating comedic elements.

What is Eddington about, and who are the main characters?

Set in May 2020 in the fictional town of Eddington, New Mexico, the film centers on a fierce standoff between a right-wing sheriff, Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix), and a liberal mayor, Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal). Their conflict ignites a powder keg within the community, pitting neighbor against neighbor amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread protests. Other key characters include Cross's wife, Louise (Emma Stone), and cult leader Vernon Jefferson Peak (Austin Butler).

Sources:

• Context provided by various news outlets (e.g., WSWS, Deadline, Collider, MovieWeb, ScreenRant, CBR, Forbes, Bloody Disgusting, The Hollywood Reporter).