Westerns have a special place in the hearts of audiences that grew up during the genre’s golden age, and those introduced to classic productions on television and film via reruns and VHS tapes/DVDs. While they aren’t produced as much as other genres today, Ari Aster’s Eddington is the latest to enter the world of showdowns and standoffs. Starring Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal, Eddington follows the standoff between a small-town sheriff (Phoenix) and the Mayor (Pascal) that sparks a powder keg as neighbors are pitted against each other. It’s set in May 2020 in the fictional town of Eddington, New Mexico. The Aster-directed film will debut on July 18, 2025, but had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2025.
Critics and those in attendance at the film festival got to witness either one of the best new Westerns in the genre or the worst. While many people will decide to make their own opinions of the movie when it hits theaters, those who value the critiques of people knowledgeable in film can get a feel of what to expect based on its early Rotten Tomatoes reviews. In addition to Phoenix and Pascal, Eddington also stars Luke Grimes, Deirdre O’Connell, Michael Ward, Austin Butler, and Emma Stone. A star-studded cast like this with good writing should garner raving reviews instantly, but its Rotten Tomatoes score is currently at 63% with only 19 reviews.
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David Fear of Rolling Stone wrote, “Aster has given us another movie that chills you, unnerves you and makes you want to crawl out of your skin. You just wish this one didn’t feel so close to being nonfiction.” Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian said that Ari Aster is creating a losing streak and gave the film an original score of two out of five stars. “Ari Aster now worryingly creates a losing streak with this bafflingly dull movie, a laborious and weirdly self-important satire which makes a heavy, flavorless meal of some uninteresting and unoriginal thoughts.”
Some critics believe Eddington might be one of Aster’s funniest movies and call it a brilliant production. Josh Korngut of Dread Central wrote, “With his brilliant fourth film, Ari Aster allows the mask of America’s decency to slip off completely, and what’s revealed beneath is the rotting flesh on the face of the chaotic beast we’ve been becoming for so long.” Korngut’s original score for the film is five out of five. Sophie Monks Kaufman of The Independent (UK)’s review: “This is Aster’s funniest film to date, and makes use of an ever-expanding and shifting cast to dot the 150-minute runtime with well-observed comic details and visual payoffs.
Mixed Reviews for Ari Aster’s ‘Eddington’
If you’re the kind of person who aims to separate entertainment from politics, the Western genre isn’t for you. Its productions are often political, whether subtle or direct, and it seems like Ari Aster’s Eddington is no different. As many of its Rotten Tomatoes reviews mention, Aster adds in comedy, a familiar Western feel, and his own touch to tell the story of a town divided. The mixed reviews are sort of expected for a production that touches on politics, especially with everything going on in the world today.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
