^{By: Amanda Guarragi}

As a newcomer in the modern age of cinema, Ari Aster has established himself as a crafty horror filmmaker who explores various forms of the genre. 

He has combined genres and broken genre conventions to elevate the meaning of horror. From Hereditary to Midsommar to Beau is Afraid, Aster is one of the most ambitious filmmakers who is incredibly gifted in creating a chilling atmosphere. He has tackled family dysfunction, grief, the occult, anxiety, and depression so well.

Now with Eddington, Aster transports the audience to the height of the pandemic and the pandemonium that ensued during lockdown. This is by far Aster’s most cohesive screenplay, which spirals into a more sinister realization that the world has undergone a complete transformation.

The horror in Eddington is essentially the downfall of humanity. Aster shows audiences how destructive humans have become. Even though many have blocked out those years, it was the most unsettling theatre experience because of the accurate depiction of different perspectives during one of the most traumatic events of our lifetime.

During the height of the pandemic, no one wanted to watch these experiences unfold on screen. People wanted escapism. But now, almost five years later, audiences will view this from a different perspective. 

Aster respectfully explores socio-political threads that all work together well. The one word that can be used to describe the film is “overwhelming.” 

Humans are not meant to know information every second of the day. There was a sense of dread during that period. Everything that could happen, happened all at once. Aster seamlessly linked the chain of events in a natural progression. It’s almost hard to believe that we even went through what was shown on screen.

Aster began the film on a small scale, where it felt more intimate with the characters in the small town of Eddington. Mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) is up for re-election and enforced the mask mandate, while asthma-ridden Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) is against it, but wants to run for mayor to counter his platform. Both of their views can be interpreted differently by viewers; the reason it may be controversial is that Aster gives his audience the choice to openly understand both sides. 

Whether you agree or not, all aspects of the conversation are discussed. The subject matter may feel heavy, and it’s because of the constant arguments being made for human rights and decency.

Phoenix carries the film beautifully as we witness his descent into manipulation and privilege, while feeling like he’s being taken for a fool. His wife Louise (Emma Stone) has a secret of her own that her mother Dawn (Deirdre O’Connell) and Joe keep until Joe exposes it for his gain. It’s a dreadful moment in the film because it’s so deeply personal for her. 

The relationship between Joe and Louise is strained and uncomfortable. Stone gives a more stoic performance until she is freed from the shackles of the secret between her and Joe and Ted. She seeks enlightenment from a free spirit cult-like leader online named Vernon (Austin Butler), who has experienced abuse in the past.

The supporting cast all work in their respective roles and fuel Phoenix’s performance, but mainly they felt underutilized, especially for the length of the film. Phoenix and Aster have the perfect marriage and should continue to work together because it feels like they have a solid understanding of what to expect from each other. The performances in Eddington all work in favour of the protagonist, but not one character is a standout.

Aster creates an anxiety-ridden atmosphere with the characters because of the intensity of their perspectives. The reason viewers may feel overwhelmed is the use of social media throughout the film. 

Without even realizing it, there are core memories from the pandemic that have been embedded into the culture of the period. Aster gave viewers an overload of information in short periods of time through social media from the characters as well. It was used as a platform for expression. 

Unfortunately, a system that was once seen as helpful and informative was weaponized by the masses. There was a slew of misinformation, and people who were heavily influenced by others at the time.

In the middle of the film, the Black Lives Matter movement was integrated well because it fueled the second half of the film. Aster showed the contrast between protesters and the police officers when interpreting the murder of George Floyd. The way Aster approached the subject is impactful because of how satirical the writing was. There was growing frustration during the pandemic that Aster addressed through the absurdity of general commentary. The use of empty words and phrases greatly affects the motivation of what people were fighting for. 

Surprisingly enough, the humour in Eddington is a combination of nervous laughter and awkward moments of knowing individuals who would be preaching outlandish ideologies. Aster cleverly never seems biased when the characters are discussing their opinions, but the humorous moments are there to reinforce where he stands.

However, one feels about Aster’s previous films, he has always challenged the viewers with how he constructs his horror films. He entices the viewer with a grounded opening theme and then often spirals in the third act into obscurity. 

The surprises are endless in Eddington because most of what happens is unexpected, and how it unravels makes the utmost sense based on the treatment of the protagonist and his ideology. Joe’s arc takes a turn for the worse as ANTIFA gets involved in Eddington’s protests.

The town turns to chaos, and it becomes anarchy. The sense of comfort in community is washed away as everyone begins to look over their shoulder at their fellow man. 

Who is left to trust when there’s an insurmountable level of betrayal and selfishness from others? 

Joe takes it upon himself to fix the town of Eddington through his vengeance. The environment becomes hostile, and Joe descends into madness because he wants to be taken seriously.

Eddington begins with the peak of the pandemic but spirals into something more destructive and deeply personal. The way the world has turned has affected everyone on a different level, and Joe was impacted by the ever-changing political landscape in his hometown. 

It’s much more than just a film about the pandemic. It’s a horror film about the downfall of humanity and the selfishness that has surfaced due to having a platform to express oneself. Much of society is entitled and arrogant. Aster just places a mirror in front of the audience to reflect on what has happened in the past five years. 

It’s a thought-provoking neo-western that perfectly encapsulates the life-changing international event that altered the trajectory of the world.