Written by: Ari Aster
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Luke Grimes, Deirdre O’Connell, Micheal Ward
Rating: [2/5]
Anyone who lived through the COVID-19 pandemic probably agrees that revisiting a time when the entire world fractured when unity was truly needed would not lead to positive emotions. While this horrid disease killed so many, it also displayed humanity at some of its worst, where empathy was completely thrown out of the window. This reality ultimately puts Eddington at a disadvantage in the way it seeks to accurately display it. However, for all the accuracy, this film’s rancidness leaves nothing to hold onto and therefore leaves me completely cold on its messaging.
In a small New Mexico town, the response to the ongoing pandemic has caused the government to issue lockdown provisions for the safety of the community. This does not jive well with many, including the town’s sheriff, Joe (Joaquin Phoenix), who confronts the town’s mayor, Ted (Pedro Pascal) about his displeasure. As tension continue to rise, Joe decides he will run for mayor to have the real voice of the people come forth.
Talk about a minefield to navigate, Eddington, attempts to tackle something unfortunately so fresh in our minds that requires the work of a surgeon but instead had its director Ari Aster enter the operating room with a chainsaw. You almost have to respect the guy for even attempting this story, but props for trying can only go so far when you get a story so jumbled and filled with downright cynicism that evokes such a disconcerting feeling when watching it. One can only wonder the full intention of Aster in his storytelling decisions here, but it certainly did not leave the best impression on this reviewer.
The central issue plaguing this film lies in how it attempts to serve as this capsule of anger, paranoia, and pain in a time no too long ago. It makes you wonder what it would like to make this film perhaps 15 years later, where feelings surrounding what it covers does not feel so fresh in everyone’s minds. Eddington not only covers the central issue of personal freedoms when it came to social distancing and masking, but also the utilization of social media to peddle conspiracy theories and cult-like behavior. Plenty to tackle on their own, but to mangle them all together to the point where we get the ridiculous third act, it just leaves a sour taste.
Perhaps the most cynical element of the way Aster tells this story comes from the way it views all of its characters as a representation of a specific issue rather than fully-realized individuals. The only person receiving anything of substance is Joe, who certainly has his flaws, but everyone else exists merely as “cult guy,” “conspiracy lady,” or “dumb protestor” meaning there’s a distinct lack of depth to what the subject matter deserves. Instead, it appears this town gets treated as ground-zero for all the things Aster took issue with when it came to the COVID-10 pandemic, where no one really believes in anything and what they say only serves as a way to sway others.
Standing at an eye-watering 149 minutes, this film also does not do itself any favors by vastly overstaying its welcome. At this runtime, it made each belabored point feel drawn out and just left me thinking what could have been removed to make for something far more cohesive. It gives off this feeling of a directorial vision that needed some paring down by those who could have stepped in, but Aster has been running with a decent amount of good will given his filmography prior to this film. Watching this film makes you yearn for a time not too long ago when he created stridently terrifying horror films, but he left his sandbox and tried something else. If anything, perhaps Eddington proves he should return to that sandbox.
Truly an unpleasant watch, Eddington fails to muster anything remotely interesting regarding a shared experience. For me, at the very least, it reminded me of a time when conspiracies ran rampant and empathy all but disappeared when talking about others. Aster succeeds in recreating this feeling but to what end? We never receive this end and along with many other elements previously discussed culminates into a vastly disappointing film.
Films with Josh 
