# Eddington - UNCOMFORTABLE on PURPOSE - Angry Movie Review Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbDHK4agj_c Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/dbDHK4agj_c Generated: 2025-07-22T20:13:40.304+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The film "Eddington" is an intentionally uncomfortable and bizarre A24 movie that attempts clunky political and social commentary on contemporary issues like COVID-19, masks, and political polarization, ultimately failing to deliver a cohesive message despite some intriguing moments and strong acting from Joaquin Phoenix. Reviewers found the first half tedious and annoying, while the second half offered more action but still fumbled its execution, leading to a mixed-to-negative reception and a likely box office bomb. **Key Points:** - "Eddington" is an intentionally "uncomfortable movie" that attempts clunky political satire and social commentary on issues like COVID-19, masks, and political polarization. - The film's first hour is described as "cringy," "annoying," and tedious, featuring unlikable characters constantly arguing about contemporary social issues. - The narrative shifts dramatically in the second half, becoming more action-oriented and surreal after Joaquin Phoenix's character, a sheriff, assassinates the mayor and his son. - The movie attempts to cover numerous hot-button topics, including George Floyd, Antifa, AI, and religious cults, but does so through "the dumbest people" and offers "no solutions." - Joaquin Phoenix's acting is a highlight, but the film's recurring inclusion of "old person nudity" is criticized as being "weird for weird sake" without serving a clear purpose. - The reviewer rates "Eddington" as a 4/10 or 5/10, calling it "below average" and recommending it only for home viewing on streaming services due to its excessive length and lack of cohesive substance. - The film is predicted to be a box office bomb, similar to Ari Aster's previous film "Beau is Afraid," and is seen as a departure from his successful horror works like "Hereditary" and "Midsommar." **Context:** Ari Aster's latest A24 film, "Eddington," is a dark, satirical western that delves into contemporary American social and political issues. The movie, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal, aims to provoke discomfort and comment on topics like the COVID-19 pandemic, mask mandates, political polarization, racial tensions, and conspiracy theories. The review highlights the film's experimental nature and its director's reputation for creating unsettling, layered cinematic experiences, often featuring controversial elements like gratuitous nudity. ## Detailed Analysis Ari Aster's "Eddington" is a peculiar and rambling film designed to be uncomfortable, featuring chaotic social commentary on topics like COVID-19, masks, George Floyd, Antifa, AI, and religious cults. The first hour is described as "cringy," "annoying," and "clunky political satire" with unlikable characters constantly arguing. While the film shifts dramatically in its second half, introducing action and a more surreal, fever-dream quality, it ultimately fumbles its ending and fails to tie its numerous plot threads together. Joaquin Phoenix's performance is a highlight, but the movie's overall message is perceived as simply stating "Americans are dumb asses" without offering solutions. Critics and audiences are expected to largely dislike it, with the reviewer giving it a 4/10 or 5/10, recommending it only for home viewing due to its excessive length and lack of substance, despite moments of skilled direction and intriguing bizarre elements. ### Initial Impressions & Intent - The film is a "long ass movie" and a "very uncomfortable movie, I think on purpose" - It looked chaotic and like a man losing his mind, which it delivers but with a lot of clunky political satire - It's a layered film meant to make you think, with allegory and messages, but the first half is "cringy" and "annoying" - The movie is a "satire without laughs," a "fright movie without jump scares," and a "western without an obvious villain." ### Critical Reception & Audience Expectation - Professional critics like Peter Howell and Peter from Our Tourist Class disliked it, calling it a "peculiar rambling misfire" and "more feeble than genuinely outrageous" - Lindsay Bahr from the Associated Press felt it was "the last thing any of us need" and "too soon" regarding its COVID-19 commentary - The reviewer agrees it's a film "none of us needed, none of us asked for" - It's predicted that "critics hold it up and audiences are probably going to [__] hate it." ### Plot Progression & Thematic Elements (Spoilers) - The film's first hour focuses on a sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) refusing to wear a mask and engaging in tedious arguments about COVID-19 and other social issues - The movie covers George Floyd, climate change, tech industry, mistreatment of natives, BLM, racism, reverse racism, and religious cults, but through "the dumbest people" who say "nothing" - The plot picks up when Phoenix's character assassinates the mayor (Pedro Pascal) and his son, leading to a cover-up and a shift into a more action-oriented, bizarre narrative - The film introduces George Soros-funded Antifa forces, which the sheriff battles in a surreal gunfight, but the integration of these elements is handled poorly and feels insulting. ### Character & Director's Style Analysis - Joaquin Phoenix's acting is considered the "best part" of the film - All characters are described as "tedious" and "the dumbest person on the far right or the dumbest person on the far left" - Ari Aster's recurring inclusion of "old person nudity" is criticized as being "weird for weird sake" and not serving a purpose - The director is seen as pushing boundaries and doing "something wacky" because he's "tired of [__] movies in general." ### Box Office Performance & Director's Trajectory - "Eddington" is predicted to be a box office bomb, similar to Aster's previous film "Beau is Afraid," which made only $11 million on a $35 million budget - The reviewer expresses disappointment that Aster is not returning to the horror genre where he found success with "Hereditary" and "Midsommar." ### Final Verdict & Recommendation - The film is rated a 4/10 or 5/10, described as "below average" and "too long" at 2 hours and 28 minutes, feeling like five - It's not an "enjoyable movie" and its social commentary that "America's [__] stupid" could have been done better - The reviewer recommends skipping theaters and watching it on streaming services "for free" if at all, as it's "not worth your time."