My father was visiting this past week and we caught a screening of the recently-released neo-Western from director Ari Aster, Eddington. Boy, has it been a long time since I’ve seen a damn good film. Set in the fictional small town of Eddington in New Mexico during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the darkly comedic thriller gives a rundown of pretty much every social and political tension that intensified during that period with biting acuity.
I found it refreshing to watch a film without having to endure any heavy moralising. I suspect it’s due to this that The Guardian called it “tedious”. The sanctimonious seldom take kindly to the same light being shone on both them and their political opponents alike, and shine a caustic light it did. Personally I revelled in Aster’s act of doing so, and it is precisely his brand of humour that is so effective at stripping self-righteous political zealots naked. But that, alongside the beautiful cinematography, was just a bonus. The most valuable aspect was the reminder that you are not immune to propaganda.
Rating: 7/10 ⭐
Mood: 😏 satisfied