Quick Overview.
Title: Eddington (2025).
Director & Writer: Ari Aster (known for Hereditary, Midsommar, Beau Is Afraid) .
Genre/Niche: Neo-Western dark comedy thriller—set in pandemic-era America, one of Aster’s most politically charged films, blending satire and surrealism.
Runtime: ~149 minutes / 2h 28m .
Budget: ~$25 million.
Release & Festivals: World premiere at Cannes (May 16, 2025); U.S. theatrical release July 18, 2025 via A24 .
Principal Cast / How Many Cast Members?
The principal ensemble includes:
- Joaquin Phoenix as Sheriff Joe Cross
- Pedro Pascal as Mayor Ted Garcia
- Emma Stone as Louise Cross (the sheriff’s wife)
- Austin Butler as Vernon Jefferson Peak (charismatic conspiracy cult figure)
- Deirdre O’Connell as Dawn (Louise’s mother)
- Luke Grimes as Guy (deputy)
- Micheal Ward as Michael (trainee officer)
- Clifton Collins Jr. as Lodge, William Belleau as Officer Jimenez (“Butterfly”)
Supporting and minor characters appear as ensemble components, including social justice youth, protestors, and cult followers. Across detailed listings, the named ensemble amounts to 9 principal actors, though the extended ensemble likely includes more (e.g., Amélie Hoeferle as Sarah, other locals)
Main Character of Eddington Movie
The narrative revolves around Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix)—a conspiracy-minded, anti-mask sheriff whose personal insecurities, political ambition, and jealousy about a past affair drive him to misuse power and descend into chaos. While Mayor Ted Garcia (Pascal) is the rival, the story centers upon Joe’s unraveling—and implicitly, his wife Louise (Emma Stone) and his mother-in-law Dawn (Deirdre O’Connell) are deeply tied to his arc.
Box Office (“Means Box Collection”).
Domestic & Worldwide Gross:
- Domestic (U.S. & Canada): ~$10.1 million
- International: ~$2.5 million
- Worldwide Total: ~$12.6 million
Opening Weekend & Performance:
- Opening Weekend (U.S.): ~$4.4 million
- Box Office Context: Opened against major titles like Smurfs and I Know What You Did Last Summer; modest commercial performance given Aster’s prestige and cast
Film’s Niche: Neo-Western Satirical Thriller.
Eddington is a unique entry: a neo-Western reshaped into a political satire set amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the collapse of social trust. It uses the look and feel of Western/noir—the dusty small town, sheriff vs mayor conflict—but layers in pandemic paranoia, social media hysteria, conspiracy culture, and racial tensions.
Aster’s tone is mercilessly cynical, skewering both “terminally online progressives” and reactionary culture with equal fervor, even if some critics accuse the approach of false equivalence.
Deep Dive.
1) Plot & Setting
Set in May 2020, Eddington, New Mexico becomes a political powder keg. Sheriff Joe Cross (Phoenix) defies mask mandates and reluctantly enters a rival campaign against Mayor Ted Garcia (Pascal), primarily over a tense personal history involving Joe’s wife, Louise. Voiced conspiracy, online outrage, and cultism feed rising chaos— as Louise and her mother Dawn invite conspiracy preacher Vernon (Butler) into the fray.
2) Tone & Visuals
Aster adopts a contemporary Western aesthetic—wide dusty exteriors, cramped interiors, mirror-reverberating confrontations—crafted by cinematographer Darius Khondji, whose visuals underscore a society unraveling. The story unspools in swirling political and emotional patterns, culminating in political violence that feels inevitable yet unrestrained.
3) Thematic Ambition & Reception
Critics note Aster’s ambition: juggling conspiracy, shame, political polarization, racial justice, and family trauma. Brian Tallerico (RogerEbert.com) calls Joe a John Wayne-style figure transformed by 2020’s collapse, emphasizing disintegration over redemption. Others praise the audacity but complain the themes overwhelm narrative coherence—CinemaNerdz critiques it as genre-confused and overstuffed though visually striking.
4) Character & Performances
- Joaquin Phoenix embodies Joe’s desperate radical shift—a man grasping for purpose via opposition. His dark humor and volatility anchor the film .
- Pedro Pascal plays the polished, tech-savvy mayor—a foil whose smarm contrasts with Joe’s self-destruction.
- Emma Stone offers emotional tension as Louise, sliding amid grief and ideological unraveling .
- Deirdre O’Connell delivers a standout as Dawn—the conspiracy-peddling mother-in-law whose delusion fuels Joe’s spiral.
- Austin Butler plays a viral cult leader whose charisma further degrades the town—a side role with outsized impact.
5) Score & Craftsmanship
Music blends Bobby Krlic and Daniel Pemberton to evoke Western ambiance and digital unease; their score—performed by the Chamber Orchestra of London—supports the tonal duality between broad landscape and internal breakdown . Lucian Johnston‘s editing maintains tension over a long runtime; Aster doesn’t do easy catharsis.
6) Critical & Audience Reaction
Critics are divided. AP News notes the film skewers both political extremes, offering a grim portrait of an America spiraling into chaos. Vanity Fair highlights the film’s descent into absurdity—less allegory and more set-piece of savage satire. At Cannes, the cast avoided explicit political commentary on the film’s themes, generating press frustration at the disconnect between narrative boldness and personal reluctance .
7) Box Office & Cultural Context
With a modest $12.6M worldwide on a $25M budget, Eddington wasn’t a commercial hit—but it continues Aster’s trajectory as an auteur whose films divide and provoke more than they broadly entertain. It may find life in streaming as discourse fodder rather than crowd-pleasing fare
Summary Table of Eddington Movie.
| Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Principal Cast | Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Austin Butler, Deirdre O’Connell, Luke Grimes, Micheal Ward, Clifton Collins Jr., William Belleau (9 named principles). |
| Main Character | Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix). |
| Box Collection | ~$10.1M domestic, ~$2.5M international, ~$12.6M worldwide on a ~$25M budget. |
| Niche | Neo-Western dark comedy thriller / political satire amid pandemic-era chaos. |
| Runtime | ~149 minutes. |
| Critical Reception | Mixed—ambitious visuals and satire praised; thematic overreach and tone criticized. |
Final Thoughts of Eddington Movie.
Eddington is a bold, messy film—Ari Aster’s most thematically explosive yet polarizing. It layers the Western standoff, political burnout, racial tension, and pandemic paranoia into a genre-blending stew that’s as provocative as it is uneven. Its strengths—visceral design, fearless satire, powerful performances—invite admiration, while its weaknesses—heavy-handed tone, narrative disarray—leave many frustrated.
It’s not “for everyone,” but for viewers who seek cinema that unsettles, enrages, and refuses tidy answers—that confronts rather than consoles—Eddington is deeply, disturbingly alive.
