MIFF: Eddington

Layne Scotland reviews Eddington, Ari Aster's new flick premiering at MIFF.

If you’ve ever opened Letterboxd, you know who Ari Aster is. With three horror films under his belt, Eddington, his most recent cinematic venture, strays away from his typical style. A mix between a neo-Western and black-comedy, Eddington takes jabs at all sides of the political spectrum, and reminds us all just how absurd 2020 was.

With a two-and-a-half-hour runtime, there's plenty to talk about.

Set in late May 2020, COVID is rife in a Trump-riddled America; however, Eddington, a small town in New Mexico, is dealing with their own problems. Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix), the poster boy for bruised egos and a staunch anti-masker, declares political warfare on left-wing mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal). But Aster doesn't stop there, adding in Joe’s traumatised wife Louise (Emma Stone), and her conspiracy-crazed mother (Deirdre O’Connell), alongside Austin Butler as a charming yet obvious cult leader in a twisted exploration of family trauma.

On top of all that, Aster throws in the Black Lives Matter movement to incite some reactions. It's a lot, and leaves you wondering, 'Did I really just witness that?' It's not hard to see Aster's vision that COVID has allowed extremism and partisanship to grow and fester abroad.

Ari Aster's A24 Production is hitting Melbourne cinemas on the 24th of August. (Image: A24)

Ultimately, Aster struggles to juggle it all, and at times, Eddington is its own worst enemy. The run time and multiple complex plot points are easy to get lost or bored in, particularly if you are a casual viewer. It almost feels as if Aster set out to make a television series, but was told to shorten it for a cinematic release. 

The first half of the film feels like what Aster set out to do: a modern Western with a star-studded cast and a look at the politics and life during COVID. However, the second half takes a turn so quickly, I questioned if I was still watching the same film. It almost seems as if Aster changed his mind halfway through and decided to make John Wick 5. It pivots so quickly into a gun-blazing, bomb throwing action that some plotlines are left to die.

Austin Butler plays a sleazy and manipulative internet celebrity. (Image: A24)

Unfortunately, this leaves the best bits of Butler and Stone's plotline unfinished. In exploring predatory internet influencers, there's something really interesting in exposing all of our parasocial relationships with celebrities and the power they inadvertently have over us, but we don't get the conclusion we'd probably like to see. Prepared to feel shortchanged.

Equally underutilised was one of the film's leads, Pedro Pascal. Now, Pascal is one of Hollywood’s favourites at the moment, coming off monumental releases like Fantastic Four and Materialists, and I can understand his casting; it's a familiar role for Pascal. But weirdly enough, his performance doesn't land. It's a one-note character who gets easily pushed aside by his scene partners, particularly Phoenix. Phoenix is undeniably the standout from the film, and you can see why Aster was eager to have him rejoin his cast. Phoenix was able to command the character, making it his own, whether that was through a Facebook live video or a bloody action sequence. His versatility as an actor is on show, and it makes it hard to discern who the antagonist or protagonist truly is. 

Emma Stone (Left) and Deirdre O'Connell (Right) are underutilised in an otherwise interesting subplot. (image: A24)

Now, one of the most polarising things in this film will be Aster’s use of technology. It's a divisive topic, many arguing that the things we use every day are just too incompatible for cinema. But how could it be a COVID film without some phone integration? But don't worry, it feels very natural. The use of Facebook Live, ring doorbells, and most importantly, the phone camera, helps to increase the immersion. The constant need to film the people around you for their safety or your safety, or to get crucial information out, harkens back to 2020. Usually gimmicky film techniques like iPhone cameras cheapen production quality, but it works here: the quirky days of 2020 isolation and rampant social media almost demand it.

While I have my issues with the film, Aster knew he wanted to make something big, and that’s what he did. Eddington is a feast for the eyes and the ears, and while it dips in some points, it sets out to make a political piece about 2020, throwing punches at both political sides. He doesn’t shy away from critiquing the middle-class white kids who commandeer the BLM movement for their own egos, or Joaquin Phoenix’s disastrous Sheriff. The jokes landed well, and the audience at my screening laughed at every joke.

Eddington feels like a chaotic screaming match that doesn’t let up, but it's well worth the watch. The film screened at MIFF last weekend and will hit Australian cinemas on August 21st.

(Image: A24)