"Eddington" is Ari Aster at his quirky best

Director Ari Aster reunites with Oscar Nominee Joaquin Phoenix for his fourth “Eddington” from A24. Aster pens the film’s screenplay, which centers on the political and social turmoil caused by the contested mayoral election fought between Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) and Mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal).

“How could you possibly like that movie?” It’s a question every critic encounters from time to time, often from frustrated viewers who feel they’ve just wasted two hours based on the critic’s recommendation. As a cinephile, I’ve been asked this throughout my life. One modern director who frequently finds himself in this position is Ari Aster.

His latest film is set smack in the middle of the Covid mess, painting America as fractured as ever, and will surely be decisive as his other works. Still, Aster’s deliberate mess of a story—about a nation tumbling headlong into political, ethical, and cultural mayhem will be an attention grabber.

One of the first things that caught my eye was the glorious New Mexico landscapes, which look stunning, and as Aster knows how Joe Public is moving away from the traditional theater experience and correlates it to humanity’s addiction to tech, with the plot whipping around a dusty town battered by online outrage, viral politics, and digital pitchfork crowds.

Joaquin Phoenix’s bold, off-putting turn as the town’s dim-bulb sheriff—sly, stone-faced, and wheezing like an old engine. He’s the last guy you’d want handling 2020’s nonstop fights over masks, Black Lives Matter marches, you name it. Small-minded and quick to take offense, he figures he’s mayor material anyway, and his bungled run for office drags the whole place into fresh rounds of bloody disorder.

If you’re looking for a sharp take on how things fall apart under clueless, self-serving bosses, this film nails it. “Eddington” feels less like wild exaggeration and more like a straight-up snapshot of a country torn apart by loudmouths chasing clicks and stirring up rage online.

Final Grade: B-

“Eddington” is available to stream now