REVIEW: Ari Aster’s ‘Eddington’ is absolutely abysmal

This year’s slate from A24 has been unsatisfactory so far, to say the least.

The latest movie from the studio, which has released many films that have populated my top 10 lists over the last decade, is set in 2020, a year we all remember but would rather forget. As the name implies, the picture is set in the town of Eddington, New Mexico where a mayoral race is underway.

The favorite is incumbent Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal), but he soon gets a challenge from the county sheriff, Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix). In addition to being at odds already with Garcia for past issues, Cross is motivated to run by his many disagreements with the handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Eventually, the race starts to turn ugly.

“Eddington” is set in 2020, and ironically, that year saw the release of another film taking on small town politics. “Irresistible,” written and directed by Jon Stewart, came out that summer, and it was unfortunately a major let down. Notably, the film had a real ‘both sides bad’ type of approach to politics.

For all the good Stewart had done in his career of satirical takes on politics, the film felt too much like hardcore centrism without any commentary on actual policy or issues. It was difficult to not think of this film during the grueling two-and-a-half-hour runtime of “Eddington.”

It’s another situation of criticizing both sides of the political spectrum, but does it in an even more asinine way. The script to this film, penned by director Ari Aster, came across like it was created by shoving the political and social discourse of 2020 in a blender with Facebook memes before calling it a day.

So much of the political commentary at play, from mocking the mask discourse or overzealous protesters, to profiling conspiracy-minded conservatives, feels like grabbing low hanging fruit, only Aster smugly presents it as groundbreaking.

It doesn’t help that so much of the film already feels dated, either. No, the Covid era isn’t that far behind us, and yes, the repercussions are still being felt. However, so much has happened socially, politically and economically that much of the dialogue that’s supposed to feel charged ends up dull, producing more eye rolls than anything.

Of course, filmmakers shouldn’t be discouraged from making flicks about that time period. But it feels like this movie is trying so hard to be a challenging take on that year’s civics, and ends up fumbling badly by having a lack of nuance or anything of real value to say.

Sure, performative liberalism exists, and there was plenty of problematic, conspiratorial takes on the right during the pandemic, but other than shallow attempts at political comedy, there’s not much to write home about. The one somewhat interesting aspect is a local debate over a new data center, and this could have been a good subject to explore, but it’s largely sidelined.

The character arc of Sheriff Cross, who’s really the main figure here, isn’t all that great, either. His progression through the course of the movie, which pushes him more and more over the edge, feels manufactured and his behavior often inauthentic.

What it all leads to in the third act could have worked, but it feels like the movie didn’t commit enough to a potentially good idea. In the end, it’s a character arc that falls flat. It doesn’t help that Phoenix isn’t quite capable of the comedic cues needed to make this thing work.

What’s even worse than all of that, though, is the fact that it’s such a bore to sit through. The flick just spoon feeds weak commentary and a less than compelling lead character on a downward spiral, and next to nothing delivers a memorable cinematic experience.

That is until the film picks up somewhat with a wild final half hour involving some violence and intensity. However, even then, it’s far too little, too late. Not to mention there’s a bunch of bloodshed with little investment because of the poor buildup.

The many performances on screen other than Phoenix are forgettable, too. No one is really convincing. Sure, this is a dark, satirical comedy, so things should be somewhat surreal. But even then, the cast are just kind of aimless in portraying their characters. It never feels like this film is really getting into the human condition.

There is some artistry in “Eddington.” Technically it’s well made, a sign that Aster is a good craftsman when it comes to filmmaking. However, thematically, narratively and character-wise, “Eddington” is a disaster.

It’s an overlong cluster of 2020 political sludge that leaves a person sighing for nearly three hours. A bad movie that’s a waste of time, while pompously acting as if it made the most profound point is especially insufferable. 0.5 out of 5.