Eddington (2025)

Eddington feels like Ari Aster tried to cram every phone screen from the spring of 2020 into one movie, and only some of that noise is sharp. In a tiny New Mexico town, Sheriff Joe Cross, played by Joaquin Phoenix, picks a fight with Mayor Ted Garcia, played by Pedro Pascal, over mask rules, then runs against him. At home, his wife Louise, Emma Stone, is pulling away, her mother is lost in online conspiracy theories, and Austin Butler turns up as a smooth cult leader. Phoenix is terrific as a small man puffing himself up on grievance, and nobody on screen is easy to root for, which seems to be the idea. Then, deep into its 148 minutes, it swerves into a full action thriller and the satire gets lost in the dust. It made $13.7 million worldwide on a reported $25M. A 5.5 because the actors commit hard and the film never settles on its point. $69.89 says you find an old face mask in a jacket this week and hold it like a fossil.

What works: Joaquin Phoenix is fearless as a sheriff who keeps talking himself into worse ideas, and the supporting cast is stacked from top to bottom.

What doesn’t: The tone lurches from satire to thriller without landing either, and the characters are so thinly drawn that the long runtime turns into a slog.

Who it’s for: Ari Aster fans who liked Beau Is Afraid, and people who enjoy arguing about a movie more than watching it.