You'll Either Love This or Hate It. Here's Why:
Ari Aster, the man who turned trauma into arthouse terror in Hereditary and turned Florence Pugh into a May Queen of memes, is back—this time not with a horror movie, but something far scarier: a pandemic-era political Western. Eddington is coming to Cannes, and based on early chatter, it may just ride in like High Noon with a MAGA hat and a Molotov cocktail.
Yeah, that kind of movie.
Joaquin Phoenix Refuses to Wear a Mask—Then Runs for Mayor
According to cinematographer Darius Khondji (a guy who knows how to paint existential dread in 35mm), Eddington will debut at Cannes—possibly in Competition. He teased its visual ambition and name-dropped Bergman and Polanski like he was curating a Criterion Collection fever dream.
But the real juice is in the script.
Leaked whispers say the film pits Joaquin Phoenix's Sheriff Joe Cross against Pedro Pascal's Mayor Ted Garcia in a political standoff sparked by—wait for it—a face mask. Cross won't wear one. Garcia expects compliance. Sparks fly. Campaigns launch. People die.
This isn't just a pandemic Western. It's a pandemic Western where George Floyd, Hillary Clinton, Anthony Fauci, and Tucker Carlson all get name-checked—sometimes literally. Think No Country for Old Men meets Don't Look Up—but shot in 1.85:1 because Aster apparently said “no thanks” to Cinemascope like a true stubborn auteur.
Eddington Is a Blood-Soaked Rorschach Test for Our Divided Age
Let's be clear: Aster isn't subtle. His work rarely is. But Eddington feels less like a mood piece and more like a Molotov cocktail lobbed at the American psyche.
The film wraps every 2020 flashpoint into a gritty, ensemble-driven narrative—only to skewer it. Characters drop like flies. Violence erupts like social media flame wars. A source who read the script told World of Reel that “no character is safe.” Which tracks: in Aster's America, nobody gets out alive—not even your political affiliation.
There's also this: A24 backed the film. Which means we're likely getting an art house Rorschach test disguised as a gritty, violent showdown. Imagine Tár riding into town on horseback with a loaded rifle and a grudge against CNN.
Why It Matters (and Why Cannes Should Be Nervous)
Aster isn't chasing horror this time—he's interrogating America. The horror isn't supernatural. It's social, political, and disturbingly real. That makes Eddington not just a bold film—but a necessary one.
Khondji's decision to shoot in 1.85:1 instead of widescreen is telling. It's tighter. More claustrophobic. Like democracy under pressure. And while most films about the pandemic are still trying to figure out their tone (Songbird, anyone?), Eddington storms the stage like it's got nothing left to lose.
Let's not forget: Cannes loves controversy. Lars von Trier got banned and still came back. Aster's film might not get him banned—but it might get him booed, blogged, and bizarrely adored.
Would You Vote for a Sheriff Who Won't Wear a Mask?
Here's the uncomfortable truth: Eddington isn't trying to be liked. It's trying to provoke. And in a time when nuance is DOA and outrage gets you likes, that might be the most dangerous move of all.
So—what happens when Ari Aster swaps demons for democrats?
Would you risk watching it?
Let's hear it below.
