Ari Aster’s latest film, Eddington, delves into the complexities of hyperpartisanship and division in America. Set in a fictional New Mexico town in the summer of 2020, the movie explores how narratives are co-opted to serve diverging agendas and how personal grievances can warp morals.
The film begins promisingly, with Joaquin Phoenix playing Joe Cross, sheriff of Eddington, as he clashes with Mayor Garcia (Pedro Pascal) over mask mandates. As tensions escalate, the town’s conflicts – including a corporate proposal for a data center, teenage love triangles, and border sovereignty disputes – come to a head.
However, Aster struggles to juggle multiple storylines and ideas, resulting in a partly coherent but often confusing film. The movie’s ambitious tone sometimes tips into satire, but it also veers into absurdity, with a subplot involving Antifa members on private planes feeling particularly out of place.
Despite its flaws, Eddington is an insightful exploration of how division can be manipulated and exploited for personal gain. Aster shines in his portrayal of how narratives are twisted to serve agendas, as seen in Emma Stone’s character Lou, who becomes a pawn in the town’s conflicts.
Ultimately, the film’s greatest strength lies in its thought-provoking commentary on polarization. With Eddington, Aster offers a scathing portrayal of America’s current state, one that is both timely and hauntingly familiar. Despite some ornamentation, the film remains ambitious enough without losing clarity – it’s just a shame that it sometimes gets lost in its own complexity.
Source: https://www.avclub.com/eddington-review