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Ari Aster’s ‘Eddington’ Opens in German Cinemas, Earning Divided Notices for Its Pandemic Neo‑Western

Critics say the film dissects pandemic‑era polarization through a small‑town power struggle shaped by online echo chambers.

Overview

  • The film debuts in Germany on November 20 through LEONINE Studios following a festival run that included a contentious Cannes reception.
  • Set in a fictional New Mexico town in spring 2020, the story centers on a sheriff and a mayor clashing over mask rules and a proposed AI data center.
  • Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal lead an ensemble that includes Emma Stone, Austin Butler and Micheal Ward.
  • At roughly 148 minutes, the movie blends neo‑Western, noir, black comedy and political horror elements.
  • Reviews highlight its ambition and star power while faulting it as overlong and overstuffed, with several praising its focus on social‑media‑driven radicalization, QAnon currents and Black Lives Matter–era tensions.