Studio: A24
Release Date: 10/7/2025
Rating: R
Film Grade: A-
The Story: It’s the end of Spring 2020 and the small town of Eddington, NM is on a precipice. In decline for years, it’s being courted by a high-tech firm as the site for a brand-new data center. This has citizens divided, with some welcoming the prospects and others questioning how it will change the community and its limited resources. Adding to that conflict are the twin tensions of Covid restrictions on one hand and social justice protests in the wake of George Floyd case on the other.
It's under that pressure that Sherrif Joe Cross makes the fateful decision to challenge the mayor in the upcoming election. Neither of them could be prepared for what follows.
My Take: This is the fourth film for writer/director Ari Aster, and it cements him as one of the finest and most original creators of his generation. Like his earlier works, the film is ostensibly about one thing, but thematically rich, touching upon numerous concepts at the same time.
Politics hang large, both national and small-town, but it’s not handled in a preachy way, where the filmmaker tells you what to think. He goes far beyond that, using simplistic thoughts and slogans on both sides to promote his central idea, that society is being fractured from the inside. Diminishing critical thinking skills, the rising influence of the internet, and the dissolution of community are all coalescing into a morass that can only end badly. This is embodied by the new data center and its ilk that are predestined to throw additional fuel on an already smoldering fire.
That may sound a bit heavy-handed, but it’s not handled that way at all. In an interview, he described the movie as diagnostic rather than prescriptive, which is both apt and refreshing. The story itself is focused on the events, its large number of characters and their interactions, slowly weaving an intricate tapestry that starts slowly but accelerates rapidly at just over the halfway point. Helping to balance all of that, he’s thrown in liberal doses of dark humor and clever dialog that are bound to elicit laughs, even if some of those are uncomfortable.
Aster created a ton of unique characters for this movie, with distinct and clear motivations, even for those that don’t get much screentime. He again tapped Joaquin Phoenix for his main actor, playing Sherrif Joe Cross as a somewhat befuddled bloke, who fancies himself as a man of action, meaning that he’s prone to acting without thinking, propelling the main plot. In contrast, Pedro Pascal is Mayor Ted Garcia, who considers himself as a thinker, but who is heavily guided by his advisor. The scenes where they’re both on screen are filled with tension and not resolved in the expected way. There isn’t a clunker in any of the cast members here, each creating believable performances in a world that is only slightly detached from our own.
The film does an amazing job of putting us back into those early days of Covid that seem so distant now. Within the first few minutes we’re reminded of how society and government were reacting to a worldwide pandemic; it makes one very grateful that that frenzy is far behind us even if the other big-bad is only it its infancy. Throw in a mention of murder hornets and it doesn’t take much to bring back the helpless feelings of paranoia that overtook large parts of the population during that time. Along with that underlying sense of fear, Aster throws in elements that appear in his other films, such as mental illness, the power of cults, and dysfunctional families, all of which add depth to the storyline.
Visuals: Cinematography is courtesy of Darius Khondji (Se7en, The City of Lost Children, Uncut Gems, among many, many others) and it’s a standout. Large amounts of contrast define the setting, with excellent photography that captures the natural wilderness on the outskirts of town. Interiors are often gloomy, but still clear. There’s a handheld sequence at the end that is startlingly effective in drawing comparisons to first person video games. The overall look of the film is rich and evocative.
Audio: If the movie disappoints in any way, it’s with the Atmos presentation. It failed my bird test, but then again, I didn’t really hear many birds in the movie, so I’ll give it a pass in that regard. However, there is a scene featuring a drone that would have benefitted by using the tops, but that didn’t happen. The tops are used primarily for the score, and during some gun play, but not extensively. I didn’t detect any use of wides at any time, even with dedicated listening to scenes where they should have been used. That said, there is a good use of the bed channels; with one scene being startlingly effective.
Going back to the score, it features two composers, including Bobby Krlic (AKA The Haxan Cloak) whose reuniting with Aster for the third time. The other is Daniel Pemberton, known for such diverse projects as The Bad Guys, Brian and Charles, Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. In general, Krlic leans towards the atonal using piano and percussion and Pemberton tends to use wind and strings. Going through the soundtrack list, they contributed about a third of the film individually with the remaining third being a cooperative effort.
You’ll identify echoes of Midsommer in the score, but this isn’t a simple rehash of those musical themes. This has its own identity, with Western influences that supplement the typically offbeat elements we’d expect from one of Aster’s movies. It’s a potent score that effectively punches the right buttons as plot intensifies.
Special Features: The making of featurette is an interesting look at what Aster was think of when he created the film, along with interviews with the cast and crew. It’s worth a watch if you want to know a little more about what into its production.
- Made in Eddington” making-of documentary (33 mins)
Final Verdict: Just like the movie’s theme of division, audiences are likely to feel the same way. While I loved it, my wife gave it a much less generous grade of C-. She was left wondering what exactly the point was, while I was left gob smacked with just how much it had to offer. Aster is not just a paint-by-the-numbers creator, offering audiences a story that is rich with themes, dense with plot, and unique characters that drive the story.
Viewers will get a modern-age Western on the outside filled with modern angst on the inside but balanced with intentionally dark humor and insight. Reactions may depend on the viewer’s mood when going into it; don’t expect a light-hearted action film. I also found some particular relevance as our community is undergoing a similar transformation, with a huge data center project and controversy, a mayor named Ted, and the unlikely Mexican/Greek restaurant in the heart of the city.
I’ll throw in my own doubts about AI. As an Excel nerd, I’m amazed at some of the new features that can quickly build custom solutions based on the data you provide and a description of what you want it to do. But I’m also wary of the solutions it comes up with and non-critical users that won’t know if what it spits out is accurate or not. I have no doubt that it’s poor use will inflict harm on some companies that embrace it without any skepticism.
Putting all of this together, the movie had so much to offer that I was still digesting it days later. Rewatching it to focus on the audio and video aspects drew me right back in, which is always an indication of a special movie. Highly recommended for its originality, performances, and thought-provoking material, I do so knowing that not everyone will like it. But for my tastes, Aster’s films are now must-watch material, and this entry currently sits at the top of my 2025 film list.
Fun Quote: "You know how death works."
My Review System:JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
Elite Screens Sable Frame B2 117” Width with Infinitely Variable Height
Monolith by Monoprice HTP-1 16 Channel Processor with Dirac Live
Monolith by Monoprice 7x200 Watts Amp
Monolith by Monoprice 3x200 Watts + 6x100 Watts Amp
JBL Studio 590 for Left, Center, Right, Wides, and Rears
JBL Studio 580 for Side Surrounds
JBL Studio SCS 8 for Tops
JTR Captivator 1400 Subwoofer X 4
Panasonic DP-UB420 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
Oppo BDP-93
NVIDIA Shield Android TV - 4K
Xbox One X
HTPC Running madVR (work in progress)
Remote: URC MX-780
Mini DSP 2X4 HD controlling all subwoofers
APC S15 Power Conditioner with Battery Backup
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