‘Eddington’ Review: Ari Aster Made A ‘South Park’ Movie
Eddington wears the skin of a Coen Brothers movie while utilizing the comedic mechanics of a South Park episode. The film plays everything serious while featuring solid performances from talents like Emma Stone and Joaquin Phoenix. It has the window dressing of rich Coen Brothers thrillers like Blood Simple and No Country for Old Men. Yet, the material is wildly satirical in the vein of Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
The biggest question one might ask while watching Ari Aster’s COVID-19 dark comedy is, “Who is this movie for?” Eddington feels like a movie four years too late and five years too soon. Rewatching a satirical takedown of the life and times of the pandemic would have been therapeutic in the moment. But in 2025, after the root cause of the unrest was reelected, the movie will be a hard sell. However, Joaquin Phoenix does a terrific job of channeling Randy Marsh from South Park.
What is Eddington about?
Written and directed by Ari Aster, the film centers on Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix), a conservative-leaning sheriff who handles all the crime in a remote New Mexico town. The setting right away communicates the 2020 time period as a pair of Native American police officers threaten to arrest Joe on their land for not wearing his mask.
The flawed nature of Joe’s character becomes evident as he sees the mask mandates and lockdown protocols as interference with his freedoms. And the clash gains momentum as Joe becomes involved in a local skirmish between a grocery store attendant and a consumer refusing to wear a mask.
The mandates have support from Joe’s rival, Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal), a well-polished town mayor who attempts to show goodwill toward Joe, despite the tension between them. The relationship between Joe and Ted is akin to the feud between Trump and Obama. Garcia is a well-respected politician who has earned his position respectfully. However, due to some past conflicts and a little bit of insecurity on Joe’s part, no amount of sincerity will make Joe feel adequate around Garcia.
Like the current man in power, Joe has a complicated relationship with his wife, Louise Cross (Emma Stone). Louise is distant and reserved, and the lockdowns may have compounded her mental health struggles. Her mother Dawn (Deirdre O’Connell) is a rambling conspiracy theorist who further radicalizes Joe’s inherent beliefs about the lockdowns. Adding to Joe’s animosity, it is suggested Ted previously had a relationship with Louise that led to an unfortunate termination of the pregnancy.
After the skirmish in the grocery store, the anti-mask consumer thanks Joe for defending him and shares a social media photo of the two of them, labeling Joe as “the last sane person” in town. The sentiment emboldens Joe to run for mayor against his greatest rival, Ted.
Ari Aster attempts something akin to South Park
While the material may read serious, the movie itself aims for absurd satire. It’s jarring because the film plays everything straight at first, and once the election heats up, things spin wildly out of control into a live-action episode of South Park. Aster, like Trey Parker and Matt Stone, utilizes the small-town format to make fun of events happening nationally, using the characters to magnify the absurd behavior. And Aster brings in everything from the period, including riots and the Black Lives Matter movement.
The comparison goes further with Joaquin Phoenix in the role of Joe. South Park frequently utilizes Randy Marsh as the easily manipulated character who falls for questionable national movements. The showrunners typically use his self-absorbed insecurity as a tool to communicate the stupidity of some ideas. And at the end of each episode, the character usually pays a price for his impulsive nature.
Joe is the Randy Marsh archetype in Ari Aster’s Eddington. His ignorance and insecurity push him into impulsive choices that contribute to the 2020 satirical nightmare where everyone follows his escalating path.
Additionally, there is a sequence near the end of the movie where Joe runs frantically while being chased by someone. The entire sequence feels like Phoenix giving a Randy Marsh impersonation. He’s hyperventilating, jumpy, and exhibits a buffoonish demeanor while cowardly flailing about to escape a threat.
Eddington is like a clown wearing a tuxedo
While Aster uses the small-town atmosphere to communicate absurd national events, the film is almost funnier because everyone is playing it straight. For one reason, legendary cinematographer Darius Khondji of Se7en and Amour beautifully photographs the New Mexico environment in warmish, tense tones, almost like Sicario. There is a sequence where Emma Stone and Joaquin Phoenix are lying in bed, and the way the scene uses light almost feels like a painting. The camerawork is masterful in one sequence towards the climax, beautifully showcasing a desolate town collapsing through a continuous tracking shot that never takes a breath for a cut.
The seriousness is further enhanced by the performances, which are simultaneously comedic and outstanding in a Coen Brothers way. For example, Austin Butler plays a cult figure named Vernon who takes an interest in Joe’s wife, Louise. His performance as Vernon is understated, yet it feels like a character that could potentially appear in a sequel to Raising Arizona.
The overly serious aesthetic combined with the absurd pandemic satire makes the entire experience feel like a clown trying to perform in a tuxedo. As a whole, Aster balances both skillfully, but it will not be a movie for everyone.
Overall, the film is enjoyable and will take the moviegoing audience for a ride. It’s filled with some magnificent performances and some surprisingly riveting scenes. However, it’s a difficult movie to recommend given the film’s central focus on the pandemic.
Most of the world may not be ready to fall back down the pandemic rabbit hole of civil unrest and anti-maskers. Nevertheless, for those with the stamina to dive back into 2020, Eddington offers a hilarious opportunity to see what a South Park episode could look like if directed by Joel and Ethan Coen.
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