Review: Eddington – This town ain’t big enough

Directed by Ari Aster
Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Austin Butler

8/10

Oh boy, it sure is great to be back in 2020. Coming from the uncompromising Ari Aster, Eddington doesn’t pussyfoot around with being a parable of the times, locating itself right in the very month when modern cultural hysteria hit its peak. But despite being about all things clickbait, fake news, and doomscrolling, Eddington is an enjoyable film about an unenjoyable time.

Taking place in good ol’ 2020, Eddington is a modern Western, with Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) squaring off against Mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal), as they challenge each other for the mayoral re-election. Joe is confident about his chances, as he condemns pandemic restrictions like mask mandates, despite receiving little to no support from his wife (Emma Stone), her mother (Deirdre O’Connell), or the influencer newcomer to town, Vernon (Austin Butler).

As much as this film is a commentary on modern times, it still feels like this satire is supporting the main character, as we delve into his troubling mindset during these troubling times. The film certainly attacks both civil rights activists, who make their activism more about themselves, and the ignorant traditionalists who want no change at all. Yet this harsh satire still doesn’t feel like it’s merely taking cheap shots but lampoons these characters to show how they compare and contrast to this main character.

Perhaps what makes such a film, which delves this deep into the ugliness of people, go down a little easier is how funny it is. It’s shocking, at times disturbing, and feels like an alarming take on how fraught contemporary discourse is nowadays. But there’s still an overall sense of comedy—as important as the matters are in this film, Eddington still makes this aspect of humanity look utterly ridiculous.

With everything going on in Eddington, it can still be boiled down to this one man and the way he escalates rising tensions in already tense situations. It’s hilarious to watch but also a devastating commentary on an unearned confidence in authoritarianism. Eddington seems to have its satire both ways—although misanthropic and painting most characters as villainous one way or another, it still shows empathy for the modern person and the troubles we go through just to be able to communicate.

DAVID MORGAN-BROWN