Ari Aster (Midsommar, Hereditary) has made quite a name for himself in the film industry. After writing and directing several hit films, he’s back with a new feature to give audiences anxiety. Eddington takes place in a small New Mexican town in May 2020 at the height of the pandemic and lockdown. When the town sheriff decides to run for mayor, he finds he’s bitten off more than he can chew, sending him on a chaotic downward spiral.

Eddington is a modern western with a darkly comedic edge. It follows the sheriff of Eddington, NM, Joe Cross. Beginning a few months into the Covid-19 pandemic, the audience meets Cross at a time when he feels like the world is against him. He feels belittled by the neighboring Pueblo tribal police, the townspeople, the mayor, his mother-in-law, and even his own wife. On impulse, he decides to run against the incumbent mayor. This is just the start of his impulsive decisions, taking him further and further down a path he can’t come back from. Aster likes to leave much of his films up for interpretation, and this is likely true for Eddington as well. Yet most viewers watching Joe’s journey will likely see him as the villain. He certainly thinks he’s the hero of the story, but his actions lead to dire consequences for all those around him. Some might feel sympathy for Joe along the way, but others will see a man reaping what he sows.

There is a certain level of absurdity throughout Eddington, yet Aster grounds the film enough that the entire plot feels plausible. Almost every character is a stand-in for a stereotype that exists in real life. This includes Covid deniers, corrupt politicians, white social justice warriors, incels, conspiracy theorists, new age cult leaders, and many many more. To have these all-too-real characters together under a small town microscope really emphasizes how terrible each and every one of them is. Some might not appreciate the lack of redeeming characters throughout most of the film, but at a time of such heightened fear and anger, it makes sense there would be degrees of bad rather than purely good and purely evil individuals. If anything, Aster might have added a few too many characters, constantly pulling the focus from Joe and the primary conflict. It also lends to the overly long runtime. At almost 2 hours and 30 minutes, many of the subplots could have easily been cut without hindering the main storyline. This also leads to some confusion at the climax of the film, giving audiences an explosive showdown with an unclear antagonist.

Hands down the highlight of Eddington is the brilliant performances. Joaquin Phoenix (Gladiator, Beau is Afraid) stars as Sheriff Joe Cross. By the time audiences meet Joe, he’s already at his breaking point. Phoenix is fantastic in this role. There are plenty of times when he could make the character sympathetic, especially in how he claims his actions are for his wife and the town, but every single decision he makes is simply for his own ego. His anxiety oozes through the screen, taking the audience on a truly stressful ride even as we root for his demise. Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us, The Mandalorian) plays the incumbent mayor, Ted Garcia. Pascal makes Ted a great counterbalance to Joe, being calm and collected where Joe is chaotic and impulsive, making it quite clear he’s better suited to being mayor. He might be a bit corrupt, but what politician isn’t? The hostility between these two men is palpable and lends to the sense of a classic western showdown. Other wonderful performances come from Emma Stone (Poor Things), Deirdre O’Connell (Dragonfly), Michael Ward (The Old Guard), William Belleau (Killers of the Flower Moon), Clifton Collins Jr. (Star Trek), and Austin Butler (Elvis).

To help create the modern western feel, Eddington is set in a very rural, rundown town surrounded by plains and deserts as far as the eye can see. It helps to create a sense of isolation while also looking like the kind of place that would have a saloon shoot out. The production design screams Eddington is a dying town, which also helps to highlight Ted’s efforts to bring new businesses in and emphasizes how nice his home is in comparison. Because this is a pandemic film, there is some great subtle, snotty, sweaty makeup for those who are sick. The climax of Eddington also throws in some really phenomenal practical effects. The violence is shocking and the carnage left behind looks horrifyingly real.

Eddington delivers a restrained absurdity, offering an anxiety-inducing snapshot of America since 2020. Aster could have pulled back a bit and gone through a few more revisions to cut out the unnecessary characters and subplots, but the core story of one small town sheriff’s downfall still makes for a thrilling viewing experience. Phoenix gives a top tier performance as Joe, creating a character many audiences will love to hate. Every cast member has a standout moment and the isolated location adds to the suspense. Eddington‘s satirical, bleak take on the state of the US definitely won’t be for everyone, but it will undoubtedly be a hot debate topic for years to come. Be sure to see Eddington exclusively in theaters beginning Friday, July 18th.

OVERALL RATING: 7.5/10