Title: Eddington (2025) by Ari Aster
Setting: Small-town New Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic
Premise: Tension and division between a local sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) and the town's mayor (Pedro Pascal), reflecting broader cultural and social fractures in America.
Themes: Polarization, the influence of social media, performative activism, the corporatization of crisis, and the psychological weight of 2020.
Joaquin Phoenix (Sheriff Joe Cross): Widely praised for his layered, committed performance. Considered perfect for the role.
Pedro Pascal (Mayor Ted Garcia): Serves as a foil to Phoenix's sheriff. Also well-cast, though not a co-lead.
Emma Stone: Mixed feelings about her casting due to age and tone. Some discussion of alternative casting.
Austin Butler: Divisive but ultimately defended. His character is seen as representative of evangelical or conspiracy-driven youth.
A recurring homeless man character is discussed as a possible metaphor for society's ignored truths or the prophetic outsider.
Director of Photography: Darius Khondji (corrected after initially being misattributed to Bruno Delbonnel)
Visuals praised as among the best of the year—shot in New Mexico using real locations, lighting used to evoke horror pacing and psychological tension.
Stylistic comparisons to Hereditary and Seven.
Return of Ari Aster's visual motifs: isolation, daylight-to-night transitions, and symbolic elevation (e.g., houses on hills).
Described as:
"Not quite a horror film, but horror-influenced"
A blend of satire, tragedy, psychological thriller, dark comedy, and drama
Compared to:
No Country for Old Men (tone and landscape)
Robert Altman's Nashville (ensemble structure and social chaos)
King of Comedy and Taxi Driver (Scorsese comparisons in the spoiler section)
Rejection of Coen Brothers comparisons as too simplistic
Fragmentation of Reality: The main theme is how social media algorithms and performative digital culture drive people apart.
Bothsides-ism: The film avoids heroes or villains; it's more about the system manipulating everyone.
Performative Activism: Especially embodied in the youth protest scenes—young people react to national injustices despite their local irrelevance.
Corporate Exploitation: A data center being built in the town is the real power move while townsfolk are distracted by culture wars.
The Sheriff as a Symbol: Joe Cross embodies both traditional authority and the poisoned populism of social media-age politics.
Final Acts of Violence: Symbolize collapse under social pressure and loss of moral compass.
Michael: 4 out of 5 stars – "Bold, sharp, close to perfect…"
Dave: 4 out of 5 stars – "Difficult but essential viewing… very funny, deeply human…"
⏱️ Timestamp: 40:50
Michael opens the review section, defending the film's boldness, satire, and visual style.
Emphasizes how the film captures the chaos and performative energy of 2020.
Strong praise for the thematic relevance and technical execution.
Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars
⏱️ 46:31 – Dave's Review
Compares the emotional weight of Eddington to films like Civil War and No Country for Old Men.
Praises the film for humanizing characters and confronting social disintegration.
Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Ends with a call for the film to be recognized as one of the most thought-provoking of the year.
⏱️ Timestamp: 50:34
"Let's talk about the cacophony that is this film in our spoiler section…"
00:20 – Explores how Eddington portrays social media as a force of division, aligning with Ari Aster's Wired interview.
01:11 – Aster's quote about telling a coherent story from an incoherent miasma is discussed and praised.
02:15 – Dave references a protest scene and critiques performative activism in a majority-white town.
04:46 – Joe Cross as a stand-in for embodied social media, broadcasting manipulation via megaphone.
06:08 – Dave compares the film to Scorsese's King of Comedy and Taxi Driver, especially in how antagonists are aggrandized.
07:26 – Michael analyzes characters like Sarah, pointing out value systems shaped entirely by online culture.
08:13 – Cross and the protesters mirror each other's rhetoric but cannot communicate—highlighting echo chambers.
08:46–12:12 – The unhoused character is explored as a possible prophetic figure. The town ignores real suffering in favor of symbolic outrage.
12:25–14:11 – The sheriff's arc from performative compassion to violence is unpacked. His choices reflect moral confusion and performative politics.
