Episode 98: Eddington

Film Overview

• 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.

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Cast & Performances

• 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.

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Cinematography & Technical Merits

• 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).

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Genre & Stylistic Notes

• 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

Episode Transcript

(40:50):
Michael opens the review section, praising the film’s boldness, satire, and visual style. He highlights the film’s portrayal of 2020’s chaos and its thematic relevance. He rates it 4 out of 5 stars.

(46:31):
Dave gives his review, comparing *Eddington* to *Civil War* and *No Country for Old Men*. He praises its humanity and difficult subject matter, also rating it 4 out of 5 stars.

(50:34):
Start of spoiler discussion. Michael and Dave begin exploring the film's thematic density. Michael references Ari Aster’s Wired interview about modern incoherence.

(51:54):
They discuss how social media fractures perception and spreads performative behavior. The film's chaotic structure reflects the digital miasma.

(52:45):
Dave critiques the protest scenes in the town as performative activism in a white-majority community. He questions their authenticity.

(54:46):
Michael explains how Joe Cross’s use of a megaphone mimics digital broadcasting. He embodies a social media algorithm, not a traditional person.

(56:08):
Dave compares *Eddington* to *Taxi Driver* and *The King of Comedy*, where villains are lionized and moral boundaries blur.

(57:26):
Michael explores the younger characters, especially Sarah, whose entire worldview is shaped by internet culture and trauma cycles.

(58:13):
The sheriff and protesters mirror each other’s talking points. It’s about the same grievance screamed from different perspectives.

(58:46):
They analyze the unhoused character who wanders through the film. He is symbolic of ignored suffering—perhaps a prophet figure.

The film’s ending (01:02:12):
The sheriff kills a local teen and walks off. Michael and Dave interpret this as moral collapse and spiritual defeat, not catharsis.