If you loved Ari Aster’s blockbuster hits “Midsommar” and “Hereditary,” then you will certainly enjoy “Eddington,” his most recent work released this year back in July.

With a star-studded cast including Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Austin Butler and Emma Stone, this political thriller with a neo-western twang knows how to rock your world with its palpable tension and lifelike dialogue, reflecting the unforeseen consequences of their actions. 

“Eddington” is set in Summer 2020 during the early pandemic. In the small town of Eddington, New Mexico, there’s a constrained dispute between the town’s sheriff, Joe Cross, and the mayor, Ted Garcia, played by Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal, respectively. Their dispute turns into a political bout as Cross attempts to run for mayor while BLM protests rock the town from within. 

Things begin to heat up tremendously as the dispute becomes incredibly personal and dire. With no end in sight and an overarching sense of pitiful sorrow, the sheriff takes matters into his own hands. The film reaches its climax when a brutal and bloody firefight encapsulates the town as Cross fends off heavily armed extremist militants brought in by unknown forces in the dead of night. 

Each character is brought to life by their flaws and attitudes. Cross, for example, is asthmatic and cannot properly breathe in his mask. He feels targeted by his community, which he protects, for simply being unable to wear a mask. 

However, his own interpretation of the disease, delving into the realms of denial, fuels an uncertain delusion about the town’s leadership. Ted Garcia, on the other hand, is virulently selfish. He’s incredibly self-serving and has a high and mighty attitude. 

He ultimately lacks a spine and can be considered a shill at times during the film. However, I do not think what happened to him or his son near the movie’s midpoint is justifiable. 

The cinematography is spot-on, with panned-out shots of the New Mexico wilderness and close, focused shots that confront the emotional and mental level of the film’s main characters. The scenes during the film’s climactic shootout are chaotic. Like in “No Country for Old Men,” the enemy is unseen and surgical, while Cross hip-fires a machine gun in every direction to hopefully live one more minute and defend his community from annihilation. 

Without a doubt, this movie brings attention to the division that our country is seeing today. It ties together the feelings of hopelessness, unease and dangerous attitudes within our communities that still affect our collective consciousness. 

The movie is available on YouTube, Fandango and Apple TV. Watch the film and enter the tense atmosphere of Ari Aster’s “Eddington.”