Ari Aster is back, and bolder than ever, for better or worse. This filmmaker of disturbing proportions has swung for the fences with his newest feature: a modern western/satire aimed squarely at the American people during the first wave of the Covid-19 outbreak. Aster has slowly been shifting from straight-up horror films to more comedic outings while still maintaining his creepy instincts. Eddington, as such, is a mess of horror and hilarity, and one that a lot of people are finding hard to stomach…
Though A24 and Aster fans have been anticipating this western for a while, it is not doing well commercially. After its opening weekend, the film has made just under a fifth the cost of its budget. Of course, with Superman, Jurassic World, and I Know What You Did Last Summer also in theaters– this ‘arthouse western’ never stood a chance. As thrilled as I am to see original and audacious ideas such as these get green-lit, it’s always a drag when a film falls short of expectations. Eddington does just that.
Welcome to Eddington
Ari Aster is known for his disturbing, surreal, and yet beautifully shot films– and Eddington is no different. While his prior film, Beau is Afraid, is an overly ambitious odyssey, Aster still has ambition to spare.
This film has a lot of fun critiquing a recent time and place in America, and for that I respect it. The comedic force Aster displays is unparalleled to the films he wrote before. In creating a fictional American town in New Mexico, Aster has designed a sandbox where he can play around with various political stances. He quickly provides us with characters and situations that have you questioning anyone’s motivations for pushing their views onto others. The satire at hand is sometimes sharp, sometimes shaky, but always downright hilarious either way.
If only this frequently funny satire had legs, the story might not have felt so bloated and underwhelming. Though there are sequences, scenes, and performances that light up the screen, it never quite comes together as a whole. Whereas Hereditary and Midsommar were successful drama/horror hybrids, Aster’s more recent outings have been much more controversial. In a sense, Eddington is designed to polarize the American viewers, but to what end? I’m sure I don’t know.
Eddington is a blast… for a while
For the most of the runtime, I was laughing so much I really didn’t care where the story was going. Aster skewers the different attitudes towards wearing masks, Black Lives Matter, gun violence , and more, and has a great time doing so. It’s been a while since I’ve seen such a bold dark comedy, taking such serious issues and using them as punchlines– Aster has quite the audacity.
The hilarity is especially potent when Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal are facing off. Phoenix’s ignorant “Sheriff Joe Cross” and Pascal’s insincere “Mayor Ted Garcia” are a match up I wish we could have seen more of. Both characters highlight the ridiculous extremes seen during the early days of Covid-19.
The film also boasts such talents as Emma Stone, Michael Ward, Luke Grimes, and Austin Butler. While all performers work well with what they have, it’s clear that Aster spread his story too thin. There are subplots that tackle cults, high school drama, and conspiracy theorists, though they never amount to much more. What is clear is that Joe Cross is our protagonist, and an intentionally unlikeable one at that. These supporting characters don’t quite make a difference in Joe’s story– his path seemed inevitable from the opening scene.
A very modern western
Aster’s main intention was to create a contemporary western, and in that regard, the film is somewhat successful. Taking place in May of 2020, I’ve yet to see a film properly represent how obnoxious and damaging social media is in our day and age. Aster’s typical sense of dread and anxiety is amplified by his use of smart phones from scene to scene. Characters are constantly doom-scrolling as their town falls to pieces, and everyone is using social media to push an agenda.
It’s a delight to see such a talented filmmaker tackle such a well-worn genre, and while he may not stick the landing, it’s clear there’s passion involved. The scenery, cinematography, and score all scream classic western. Aster is clearly drawing from the old western standards in the way he composed his new tale, but unfortunately the storytelling is not as strong as in his earlier films. It appears that there was too much on Aster’s mind, and Joe Cross is the one who pays for it.
Another tragic figure
I’ve noticed that Ari Aster loves making depressing movies, and Joaquin Phoenix loves playing extremely tragic characters. This rings true for Eddington, as well, as Joe Cross is put through the wringer from start to finish. Cross is not a likable man in the least, though Phoenix’s sadness lends him a small sense of pity to be felt. This is an extreme version of protagonist turned antagonist, and following Joe through his suffering is no easy feat.
Early on, the film’s darkly comedic and tension fueled scenes work very well. It’s more than easy to laugh at the ignorance of ultra-conservative Sheriff Cross and his lackeys. There’s a lot to be questioned once the fun is over, however. And there is a clear shift from absurdist-comedy to violent-drama that feels uncomfortably abrupt.
Aster is always interested in defying expectations, but putting his characters through such misery can make his films awfully hard to bear. After watching Cross and Garcia go head to head in an escalating fight to be Mayor, the film’s suspense eventually gives out. The dissecting of the differing views of these characters stops, and what should be an explosive finale instead feels like a limp afterthought.
A simmering, empty, powder keg
The phrase some writers are using to describe Eddington is “powder keg”, and it certainly feels that way, at first. The film works hard to build suspense, like any good western, as these two great actors go head to head. What results is an undeniably exciting climax, but one that feels quite hollow. The trouble with a slow burn is that the ending has got to satisfy– and this one falls flat.
It’s mighty unfortunate to see such a promising filmmaker create another film that divides its audience. There are moments of greatness for sure, and Phoenix’s performance, as usual, is commendable. But Aster tried too hard, leaving most of us confused on how to feel about this new entry in his canon of nightmare fuel.
While I do think any original film is worth a shot, Eddington almost purposefully distances itself from the audience. It has its moments of comedic bravado, that much is sure. But it seems that Aster took on the concept of a “Covid Movie” too soon, and without making his political statements clear enough. Whatever the case may be, this western should be taken out to pasture.
Eddington is currently in theaters.
(Though I could only recommend it to diehard A24 fans.)
