Time: 149 Minutes
Age Rating: R16– Violence
Cast:
Joaquin Phoenix as Joe Cross
Pedro Pascal as Ted Garcia
Emma Stone as Louise Cross
Austin Butler as Vernon Jefferson Peak
Luke Grimes as Guy Tooley
Deirdre O’Connell as Dawn
Micheal Ward as Michael Cooke
Director: Ari Aster

Ari Aster is an interesting director for me. I loved Hereditary but was left rather underwhelmed with Midsommar. However, Beau Is Afraid was such a bold and clearly divisive movie that I respected it, even if I didn’t love it. From his last movie, it seemed like Aster was clearly willing to put things on screen even if the audience doesn’t like it. So, setting his next movie in 2020 and during the COVID-19 pandemic had me very interested in it, especially after seeing the rather divisive reactions. I watched Eddington at the NZIFF and while there’s a lot to process here, I actually quite liked it.

A big part of the movie is that it is a satire set during the COVID-19 pandemic, and clearly the concept and delivery won’t work for everyone. To be clear, the movie is not about COVID, but COVID is nonetheless presented as a catalyst for what happens in this movie and why people behave and react the way they do. It is less about the viral effects of COVID and more about the psychological and social damage during this time and holds up a mirror to people and society. We see how just about everyone is in their online/digital social media echo chambers, and the way it disconnects and isolates people from everyone else and are living in their own realities. Misinformation is everywhere, conspiracy theories and performative activism around, it really does capture the moment in 2020. It is a lot to take in and I’m not sure I’d call all the commentary excellent, but it still lingers in the mind and I largely liked what was done here. It is definitely bleak and nihilistic although it managed to not feel obnoxiously provocative, at least to me. It helps that the movie is very much a dark comedy about the absurdities during this time (especially in America) and some of the ridiculousness does make it enjoyable. Despite some of its cartoonish humour, it does have a degree of empathy for its characters. Like in Aster’s other movies it takes a turn in the third act into some mayhem but I thought it worked, and I do like how the film concluded. There were definitely stretches of the movie where I really wasn’t sure where it was going and if I would be on board with it, but I was at least willing to follow along and by the end, I was confident in saying that I liked it overall.

Joaquin Phoenix fits perfectly in the lead role and delivers a committed and believable performance. Between this and Beau is Afraid, he and Ari Aster clearly work together really well. Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, and Austin Butler aren’t in the movie as much as I would’ve liked, but they are really good in supporting roles and do a lot with what they have.

Ari Aster’s direction is top notch as always. It is incredibly well shot, has some good editing, and some particular sequences in the third act are particularly handled fantastically.

Eddington is an ambitious, messy, but compelling dark comic satire, incredibly directed and with a solid cast led by a great Joaquin Phoenix. It’s sure to be one of the most divisive films of the year, but I think it’s at least worth a watch.