Eddington (Ari Aster, 2025, USA/UK/Finland)

Eddington is the latest film from A24 auteur Ari Aster. Aster began his career strongly with two era-defining horror films - Hereditary and Midsommar. His last effort - Beau is Afraid - was a step away from pure horror and into something that critics found more self-indulgent (we haven’t seen the film). Eddington similarly found a mixed response amongst critics and audiences, probably also because, though the film has horrific elements, it is not a horror film. If one had to compare it to anything, the films of the Coen Brothers might be the most suitable comparison - the film’s New Mexico Western setting certainly evokes parallels with No Country for Old Men (2007).

Another reason the film probably found a lukewarm response is that it takes place in an era that seems very distant but was, in fact, not that long ago - the COVID era. Audiences certainly seem to have an allergy to any film set during this period, and it makes sense. That said, that period was no doubt ripe for satire, and on one level, Eddington is a satire of the fear and paranoia that emerged during that era. Some have characterized Eddington as part of a broader trend in 2025 of a cinema of anxiety, with One Battle After Another and Bugonia touching on similarly paranoid themes.

Anchored by two great performances in Joaquin Phoenix as Joe Cross and Pedro Pascal as Mayor Ted Garcia, Eddington is filled with surprises and reaches with meaning. It is by no means a perfect film, but it is ambitious enough to warrant praise. Hopefully, its underperformance won’t discourage Aster from experimenting with other genres, as he has done a remarkable job here of transposing Western tropes into modern American life. Eddington is worth watching and pondering over a long conversation.  

8/10