So Much Dread that the Audience Cannot Help But Squirm In Their Seats or Laugh Out Loud
Coming out of this film, one of the first thoughts I had was how it’s the second time we’ve watched Joaquin Phoenix end up in a wheelchair, but that this was a far more compelling and thrilling journey for our protagonist in getting to said wheelchair. I’m referring here of course to his previous film Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far On Foot.
Eddington is written and directed beautifully by Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar) and is being dubbed as a ‘Mental Western’, starring the always-luminary Joaquin Phoenix (Joker, Walk The Line) as the protagonist.
Why ‘Mental Western’ you might inquire? The reason is because the storytelling here slowly creates tension through troubling modern issues and dialogue heavy interactions, rather than the typical gunfire you’d expect from spaghetti western movies. The result is a wildly unsettling uncomfortable tone, that brings about so much dread that audiences cannot help but squirm in their seats or laugh out loud.
Zooming in, ‘Eddington’ explores themes of paranoia, social and political turmoil, and ideological warfare set during the COVID-19 pandemic in a small quarantined town, Eddington.
Gripping from beginning to end, this film masterfully weaves together elements of said discomfort, comedy, dread, and satire all seamlessly integrated into its insidious plot.
As the film unfolds, the audience is reminded of the incredibly exhausting memories of the COVID-19 pandemic’s ridiculous ‘stopping the spread’ mandates, particularly when we witness Phoenix’s character, Joe Cross, navigating the challenges posed upon him by the pandemic situation, the wild news media at that time, and the characters around him.
At the live Q&A after the film, Director Ari Aster (who has been crafting films since 2008) told us how he drew inspiration from various sources to develop the characters and plot. He drove around New Mexico personally conducted extensive interviews with individuals across the ‘land of enchantment’ in order to gather his research, including meeting one specific town mayor, upon whom Joaquin’s character Joe Cross is based.
Then later in the production phase, Aster would remain tight-lipped on-set giving Phoenix artistic freedom to painstakingly review the script, meticulously analyze each scene and advocating for extensive rehearsals. This eventually had a profound impact on the director so much so that now Aster has become a stickler himself for heavy rehearsals.
A24 has undoubtedly made a splash with this film, which is poised to receive widespread acclaim from the global film community. Its compelling satire, relentless pace, and exceptional performances are sure to leave a lasting impression as they did for me. All this and I haven’t even mentioned the mind-blowing cast: Austin Butler has a small but impactful role and hats off to him and his agent for once again selecting a great film to be a part of. What a career he is having! Congrats also to Emma Stone for her performance. There’s a scene when she is about to leave her husband in the middle of the night, and you can just feel the distaste and surrender within her face and body language as Joaquin begs her to stay. Such perfect blocking in that scene too!
Bravo to A24 and Ari Aster for this riveting film