In his fourth feature film Eddington, writer/director Ari Aster revisits the tensions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.
While Aster became known for horror films like Hereditary and Midsommar, he moves away from the genre with Western thriller Eddington, just as he did in his third feature, the darkly comedic epic Beau is Afraid. And just like with that big swing — which also starred Joaquin Phoenix — critical reception of Eddington is mixed, following the film’s premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. However, there’s been enough praise to pepper this trailer with pullquotes.
Eddington stars Phoenix and Pedro Pascal as a dueling sheriff and mayor in the small town of Eddington, New Mexico. Pascal plays progressive Mayor Ted Garcia, whose response to the COVID-19 pandemic has earned the ire of Sheriff Joe Cross (Phoenix). When Joe challenges Ted in Eddington’s next mayoral election, he’ll create a rivalry that threatens disaster for the entire town.
Ted and Joe’s showdown allows Aster to examine differing reactions to COVID-19. So, the trailer touches on masking, nasal swabs, and social distancing guidelines. The film’s 2020 setting also means Eddington taps into Black Lives Matter protests over racial division and the death of George Floyd.
Another key element of Eddington is the way social media and social isolation combined to create the perfect storm for people to latch onto conspiracy theories. Look no further than Joe’s wife Louise (Emma Stone), who becomes obsessed with a cult leader played by Austin Butler.
How will all this play out to audiences? We’ll find out when Eddington hits theaters July 18.