The first full-length trailer for Ari Aster’s newest movie,Eddington, has been released online, showcasing a powerhouse cast set against the backdrop of the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic. The film has maintained a low profile since Aster first announced it, with even the original teaser trailer revealing little beyond the setting and the ensemble cast. Now, A24 is marketingEddingtonasa modern-day Westernin a small-town setting, keeping the mysterious events happening in the town an ominous secret with the well-edited and surprisingly action-packed first trailer.
Aster’sEddingtonfocuses on a standoff between Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) and Mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal), as Phoenix’s character decides to run his own Mayoral Campaign while Pascal’s character seeks re-election. The clash of ideals during the 2020 Pandemic only heightens tensions in the town of Eddington, New Mexico, as protests against violence (only hinted at in the trailer) make the town descend into further chaos.
Pedro Pascal Says Ari Aster “Wrote Something That Was All Our Worst Fears” With ‘Eddington’
The actor spoke passionately about the film’s political relevance during a press conference at Cannes.
More than anything,Eddingtonseems to want to confront the heated issues surrounding the Pandemic at the time through Pascal and Phoenix’s characters. From scenes of Sheriff Cross watching YouTube videos about the dangers of masks to Mayor Garcia trying to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines (except for one tense scene in which he doesn’t step back 6-feet from Cross),Eddingtonis looking to address issues that are still just as relevant today as they were five years ago. Add to that the violence and mystery surrounding the town, and Austin Butler’s bizarre character, and you have a powder keg of a film.
‘Eddington’ Is Made From the Fears and Anxieties of Ari Aster
Eddingtonalso features the likes of Emma Stone as Louise (Joe’s wife), Deirdre O’Connell as Dawn (Joe’s mother), Luke Grimes, Michael Ward, and Clifton Collins Jr. The film continuesAri Aster’s streak of telling storiesthat explore fear, anxiety, and paranoia, a theme that the director excels at. Look no further than his previously released film, 2023’sBeau is Afraid, a film that puts its central character, Beau (Phoenix), through the wringer in every socially awkward scenario possible and then some.
During the press conference forEddingtonfollowing its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, Aster revealed that he “wrote this movie in a state of fear and anxiety. I wanted to try and pull back and show what it feels like to live in a world where nobody can agree on what is real anymore." Aster has spent his career creating unsettling stories that carefully balance horror, comedy, and intimate character dynamics to create memorable and sometimes graphic films.
It will be interesting to see howEddingtonranks in the director’s filmography, which includes iconic modern-day horror films such as the 2018 filmHereditary, starring Toni Collette, and his 2019 Folk Horror filmMidsommar, starring Florence Pugh.Beau is Afraidis Aster’s most ambitious film to date, with its three-hour runtime easily cementing it as his longest feature, though it was not as well-received as his previous two films. The same can be said forEddington, with divisive reactions from Cannes leading tothe movie receiving mixed reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.
Source:YouTube
