Eddington

Too late. Too soon.

Eddington by Ari Aster – presented at the Cannes Film Festival – is now steadily making its way through cinemas worldwide, expected to reach most markets by autumn. But what should audiences expect from this… strange film?

Set in 2020, during the height of the COVID pandemic, the story unfolds in the half-forgotten, near-dead town of Eddington, New Mexico. At its core, we follow two antiheroes: the town’s sheriff, Joe, and its mayor, Ted. Surrounding them is a cast of vastly different characters, but all are united by one thing – each of them is deeply flawed, even outright crazy. Ted is a corrupt politician, selling off his land for bribes and influence, while Joe is a stereotypical small-town “redneck” type, firmly against masks and steeped in conspiracy theories. His wife and her mother are even more consumed by such ideas. Then, one random day, Joe decides to run against Ted in the local mayoral election.

The narrative explores how the anxieties of the pandemic overlapped with the political and social turmoil of the time – from Black Lives Matter protests to police clashes – and how conspiracy thinking spilled into reality. Several characters spiral into full-blown madness, driven by their own ignorance and paranoia.

Releasing a half-baked satirical dramedy that throws in just about everything is certainly bold. The problem is, a COVID-themed film now feels a bit late, while a deep dive into civil rights movements feels too early. Ari Aster ends up caught between two fires, targeting everyone – corrupt politicians, far-right conspiracy believers, BLM activists, the police, Antifa, corporations – in a way that leaves no one truly satirized.

Art never exists in a vacuum; we live in a political world. Releasing a film in 2025 that mocks protestors and civil movements like BLM, at a time when global politics are shifting in the opposite direction, feels like shooting yourself in the foot. Yes, you can show Antifa mercenaries descending from helicopters or a conspiracy-obsessed loner turning into a one-man wrecking crew, but if you don’t take a clear stance, all you’re left with is a strange, aimless spectacle.

As a black comedy, Eddington isn’t particularly funny; as a drama and social commentary piece, it leaves too much empty space – not for reflection, but because there’s nothing substantial behind it. The result is a banal, politically tone-deaf work that seems to scream, “I’m above all that”. But you’re not. At least your audience isn’t.

The cast, however, delivers: Joaquin Phoenix nails his role as an unhinged cop, Pedro Pascal embodies a faux-liberal politician, Deirdre Connell plays a conspiracy-driven lunatic to perfection, and Emma Stone, for some reason, once again channels her Poor Things character Bella Baxter.It all works on paper – the acting, the characters – yet the central question remains: why was this film made, who is it for, and what is it trying to say?

In the end, Eddington feels like the fever dream of someone who wanted to be “against everyone” without deciding what they actually stood for. The result is a film that is against everything and for nothing.

5/10