Eddington: Once Upon a Time in a Divided America
What if a director described his latest film as “the movie that Twitter wrote”? Would you see it? Maybe not. Now imagine the movie is set in the middle of a worldwide pandemic you might be trying to forget… still hesitant? Alright, how about this: two of the best actors of our generation go head-to-head in a political campaign directed by one of the most daring and singular filmmakers working today. Now we are talking! So, what exactly is Eddington?
After making us terrified of car rides with our older siblings in Hereditary, making one of the most visually interesting and psychedelic scenes in recent cinema in Midsommar, and making Joaquin Phoenix go on a downspiral, anxiety-ridden journey in Beau is Afraid, Ari Aster returns to the silver screen with a neo-Western dark comedy that really translates the political, social, and personal tensions arising during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the mayoral election unfolds in the small town of Eddington, New Mexico, Mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) enforces state-level regulations: mandatory use of masks and a lockdown. Believing this to be an infringement on the people’s freedom of choice, the town’s Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) decides to run for mayor against him. Aster elevates this volatile premise through the insertion of characters that reflect the fractures of modern-day American society: a recluse wife (Emma Stone), a conspiracy theorist (Deirdre O’Connell), and a cult leader (Austin Butler). The result is a bold take on the Western genre, where duelling worldviews replace gunslingers, making it significantly harder for the audience to know which side of the O.K. Corral they are meant to be in.
Eddington is a dense drama that takes us along Joe’s journey into madness, whilst also surprising us with moments of dark humour – at times making us laugh at wounds that are still raw. It is a film that lingers, rewards multiple viewings and adds new layers each time. And Lucky for you (and me!), the film is at The Dukes this week, allowing us to see Aster’s latest film, but also relive the “joyous” brain-tickling sensation of a COVID test, or two.
Written by João Eduardo Lima Belchior
Catch Eddington from Fri 12th - Thu 28th Sep.
