“Eddington” Review: Ari Aster Trades Horror for Westerns—and Stumbles

Ari Aster has built his reputation as one of the most talked-about horror filmmakers of this century, thanks to Hereditary, Midsommar, and Beau Is Afraid. Now, he steps away from horror for the first time with his neo-western Eddington. While I personally find Aster’s filmography hit-or-miss and even a bit overrated, I was curious to see how he’d handle a story outside of the horror realm. After finally watching it, here are my thoughts.

From a technical standpoint, Aster certainly delivers. Darius Khondji’s cinematography is gorgeous—each frame feels like a homage to classic westerns, with sweeping landscapes and painterly compositions. Regardless of how I feel about his storytelling, Aster has always excelled visually, and that remains true here.

One of the more surprising aspects is how well the film incorporates social media elements. The editing blends these digital snippets into the narrative without feeling gimmicky, adding to the lived-in world of the story. It gives the film a modern texture while keeping the pacing smooth—though not always engaging.

The concept itself is intriguing: two political opponents vying for the position of mayor during the COVID pandemic. But because Aster revealed that he’s been working on this script since before Hereditary, the film feels like it’s been rewritten to death. The result is a narrative that drags and often comes across as unfocused. The COVID backdrop feels shoehorned in, when the same political themes—division, control, tension between left and right—could have been set in any era, including today’s climate.

Where the film really stumbles is in its characters. The protagonist, a corrupt sheriff battling the current mayor, is written as such a relentless scumbag that he’s impossible to root for—even as an anti-hero. Most of the supporting characters aren’t fleshed out either, leaving the actors to do the heavy lifting.

Joaquin Phoenix, however, is the clear standout. He sheds his Joker baggage and fully embodies the sheriff’s ruthlessness, delivering one of his strongest performances in recent years. He should absolutely be in the awards conversation. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast is wasted. Despite a stacked lineup—Austin Butler, Emma Stone, and the ever-present Pedro Pascal—none of them get material that lets them shine. Butler and Stone are relegated to near-cameos, while Pascal coasts on his usual movie-star presence.

Ironically, the most memorable performances outside of Phoenix come from Deirdre O’Connell as the mother-in-law and Michael Ward as the deputy sheriff. When smaller supporting players outshine big-name talent like Butler and Stone, it’s clear the writing has let them down.

One element I truly admired, though, was the score. Composers Bobby Krlic (Aster’s regular collaborator) and Daniel Pemberton deliver an atmospheric, intense soundtrack that adds dramatic weight and even a faint touch of eeriness. Honestly, it made me wonder what Eddington might have been like if Aster had leaned into horror-western territory—a blend that has worked beautifully in the past.

In the end, Eddington proves that Aster has the range to step outside of horror, but the film is far from flawless. Its striking visuals, immersive editing, strong score, and Phoenix’s powerhouse performance make it worth watching, but the sluggish pacing, underwritten characters, and unnecessary COVID setting drag it down.

I hope Aster continues to experiment with new genres, but ideally with stories that feel more alive and less tedious than this one.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars (7/10)

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