Ronit J

Eddington (2025) Synopsis:

Hindsight is 2020.

In May of 2020, a standoff between a small-town sheriff and mayor sparks a powder keg as neighbor is pitted against neighbor in Eddington, New Mexico.

Eddington (2025) Review:

I really loved Hereditary and Midsommar. Well, love might not be the best descriptor, but both those movies unsettled me just the right amount for me to be excited for Ari Aster’s films. I haven’t yet had the chance to watch Beau is Afraid, but a lot of my friends highly recommended it. With Eddington, however, I was a tad skeptical. The trailers did seem promising, but whether or not the final film would be as good was a doubt that stayed alive in my mind till the credits started to roll.

Eddington is a fictional town in New Mexico which is on the verge of its next mayoral election. The year is 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted everything. Masks are mandatory, and so is social distancing. However, as you’d expect, there are more than enough people opposed to basic safety precautions because inconvenience triumphs medical expertise. Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) is one such anti-masker who’s also a kindhearted pillar of Eddington’s society. On the other hand, you have Mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal), who is currently lobbying to get a new data centre established in their town, promising development whilst ignoring the environmental cost to their already draught-stricken town.

Consuming political news these days can be quite the infuriating experience, especially if you have basic empathy. The worst of it was during the pandemic. Many followed rules whilst criticising the government’s policies, while others criticised the rules whilst supporting the government. To be fair, there were good arguments to be made on both sides, except a lot of those arguments degraded into name calling, illogical debates, and a lot of online vitriol. Taking inspiration from those very absurd realities, Eddington presents a story that pretty openly comments on the politics of that time.

Political Tension In A Digitally Divided World

As can be expected of a film like this, it’s the characters that really drive this film forward. Joe Cross is your good ol’ American cowboy. He’s a conservative upholding American values and putting his people first. He doesn’t abide by the COVID-19 rules, almost never wearing a mask. His mother in law, Dawn (Deirdre O’Connell) is a woman completely entrenched in a network of fake news and conspiracies. His wife, Louise (Emma Stone) is a vulnerable woman clearly suffering from some mental illness, never letting him touch her and constantly on the verge of an emotional breakdown.

Contrast that with Jay Garcia, the man who’s championing development. In true American fashion, this liberal who’s supportive of LGBT and BLM is a greedy capitalist, eyeing for profits from the proposed data centre is. He’s a modern man who follows the government’s rules because he understands the threat of the pandemic.

The tensions that already exist in the beginning of the film escalate with every event, exacerbating completely after George Floyd’s murder. The way our two protagonists uphold their political and world views determines their actions, pushing forward the film’s plot. While I can’t comment on the accuracy of the film’s politics—I only saw 2020 America through social media—I can say that the tensions feel very real. I’ve faced enough troubles during that time, and it was suffocating to see that part of my past come alive in this small town.

Cross’ impromptu mayoral campaign results in him slacking off as sheriff and as a husband, leading to more conflicts that further exacerbate his inner turmoil. It’s brilliantly set up, and for the first half of the film—despite some qualms—I was really intrigued.

You Can’t Just Shoot Your Problems Away

I was really eager to see the kind of absurdity that would arise from the film’s duelling ideologies. But honestly, what ended up happening sort of disappointed me. Because a little after the mid-point of the film, SPOILERS: Cross kills Garcia. Without his ideological antithesis, Cross’ presence in the film becomes a little too singular. The trailers as well as the first half promised a clash, but really we end up with just one man fucking it up for everyone. Which, as I write this, I realise that’s kinda how politics is transpiring globally, no? If that’s what Aster wanted to say with this film, then he succeeded. But, at what cost?

I’ll admit, it’s pretty damn infuriating to see Cross scrambling to save himself whilst throwing everyone else under the bus. His refusal to admit his mistakes and his undying loyalty towards his misplaced ideals results in the whole of Eddington devolving into a near-war zone. Riots break out over escalating BLM protests, as well as perceived—and to an extent true—racism and police brutality from the Eddington sheriff’s office. Thematically and philosophically, it all makes sense.

But if I’m being honest, I did not enjoy it. The bubbling chaos ended up in a mindless shootout that… was just okay. I was expecting an explosive finale, but apart from looking good, the shootout wasn’t all that interesting.

Eddington (2025) Ending Explained (SPOILERS)

Unknown rioters labelled equipped with military grade weapons attack Eddington. While never explicitly told, it’s clear that the mega corporations have paid these mercenaries to wreak havoc in Eddington so as to bring down property prices, as well as get rid of Joe Cross, whose campaign is starting to hurt the upcoming data centre. During the shootout, a masked assailant stabs Cross in the head. Immediately after, Brian (Cameron Mann) shoots him dead, whilst being live on social media. A year later, Brian has now become a woke influencer having gained following from his ‘rescue’ of mayor Cross. Cross—in a vegetative state—is still mayor, with Dawn serving as his caretaker and spokesperson. With his ‘support’, the data centre is finally unveiled.

Later, as Cross and Dawn watch a TV show, they see Vernon Jefferson Peak (Austin Butler) at a talk show. A pregnant Louise sits smiling in the background. Another depressing reality, where the vulnerable are manipulated by the powerful. Someone who was clearly abused in the past and couldn’t even let her husband touch her now submitting physically and emotionally to a cult leader. The final shot of the film is a wide angle shot of the barren lands of Eddington with the data centre in the middle.

Frankly, this was a pretty accurate depiction of how things would go when mega corporations with unlimited funds get involved in the pettiest of politics. Just think about it: states rich in resources tend to have militant conflicts secretly funded by mega corporations to pave the way for cheap labour exploitation and other immoral economic advantages. Eddington, whilst beginning as a regular political conflict, ends up devolving into an outright war zone. For the people involved, it’s a life-death situation. For the people funding it, it’s a Tuesday with mild inconvenience.

Is Eddington (2025) worth watching?

Yes and no.

Yes, because Aster is a master of tension building. The slow burn of the film’s political tensions are frustratingly accurate. However, the film is also a little too bloated in my opinion. Most of the conflicts devolving into a chaotic shootout that felt like an easy copout.

Eddington had some brilliant sparks of genius in depicting the evils of unchecked capitalistic expansion and its effects on ordinary folks. Neither side of the political spectrum is really free from the evils. The only ones benefitting are those sitting at the top. I loved this ending. My only truck with the second half was that it was pretty dull and convoluted. However, if you tell me you liked the finale with its shootout, I understand.

I’ll admit, I did actually like the ending with the sheriff and his wife. But overall, I do have some mixed feelings about the film.

In Conclusion:

Eddington (2025) by Ari Aster is a frustratingly real neo-Western political thriller that would have benefitted with fewer plot points and a better developed second half.

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