Rent Eddington on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Ari Aster
Directed by: Ari Aster
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Luke Grimes, Deirdre O'Connell, Micheal Ward, Austin Butler, Emma Stone
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
In May of 2020, a standoff between a small-town sheriff and mayor sparks a powder keg as neighbor is pitted against neighbor in Eddington, New Mexico.
Verdict
A middle aged sheriff wants to antagonize a town. That's how it starts and it only escalates to unimaginable heights. This looks at an older generation that refuses to adapt or change and a younger generation that protests but fails to change events. On both sides we're shown disingenuous characters. The entire more keeps getting more absurd to the point I wasn't sure what I was watching or what it meant.
It depends.
Review
Aster started with horror, Hereditary and Midsommar, while his last movie Beau is Afraid was a study in surreal anxiety.
This is based on the Covid Pandemic, but it's not inspired by a specific story. During Covid sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) refuses to wear a mask despite mandates he claims can't be enforced. Cross dismisses the public safety aspect of masks. He refuses to wear a mask in a pharmacy despite the looks that generates from everyone else wearing a mask. The employees eventually give up and just ignore him.
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| Joaquin Phoenix plays Joe Cross |
Cross is surrounded by conspiracy theories his mother in law likes to recite at home, but he doesn't seem to buy into it. He decides to run for mayor, basically on the premise of no masks after a stand off with Mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) who's running for reelection. Cross spends time he should be policing to campaign, turning his county vehicle into a rolling flyer. The sheriff's campaign seems short sighted and impulsive. Social media plays a big influence on characters, especially Joe and his family. Media creates this panic. Is that why Joe runs for mayor? To address the panic he feels?
There are also Black Lives Matter protests in Eddington. Brian joins Ted's son Eric in protests mainly because he likes Sarah. With the potential unrest due to the protests, Joe is more concerned that it will disrupts his speech that night rather than addressing the issues. With recent police violence, the community is hyper aware of the police. With how rash Joe acts, he's facing an uphill battle. His key strategy in all things is to deflect and misdirect. He claims Ted committed a crime, but the victim completely denies it. We don't believe Joe and with good reason.
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| Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal play Joe Cross, Ted Garcia |
This movie takes a turn. Joe is unhinged, but it's wild how this escalates. Once it starts, this just doesn't stop. It feels like a roller coaster ride with increasingly unsettling heights. Joe tries to cover his grave mistakes. He's willing to hang anyone out to dry.
From the beginning with masks, this skews political. The movie looks at the younger and older generations. The older generation is unwilling to change or adapt, using circular arguments to reinforce their points. The younger generation, upset, protests but that doesn't change anything. In turn terrorists take advantage of the situation in Eddington to spread chaos.
The sad thing is that despite all the events in this town, nothing got better. The people that opposed the data center protested and it still was built. Protestors decried violence and racism and terrorists came to town and attacked. This doesn't provide an answers, just the cynical view that so much is beyond our control. What is this movie? The plot is unclear. It begins as a feud between the sheriff and mayor that spills over into something much bigger. All I can think is that it doesn't matter what you do, it's a losing battle.
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