Outrage, Algorithms, and a Pandemic Showdown: The Western Where Truth Gets Shot First
IMDb rating: 8/10
Ari Aster’s Eddington isn’t just a COVID-era Western – it’s a big, messy autopsy of America’s collective nervous breakdown.
In May 2020, small-town New Mexico becomes a cracked-mirror microcosm of the nation. Joaquin Phoenix’s Joe Cross, all twitchy paranoia and wounded pride, squares off against Pedro Pascal’s slick, secretive mayor, who hides grudges (and possibly affairs) under a grin. The rest of the cast deliver in spades, but this is a duel in the desert, and the greatness belongs to these two gunslingers.
Their performances are magnetic: Phoenix bristles like a man who’s memorised every conspiracy thread, Pascal plays charisma as both armour and weapon.
Aster’s script asks why the U. S. now runs on distrust: race as a constant fault line, politics as blood sport, truth as something you scroll past. He skewers the algorithmic brainwash of social media, where outrage is monetised and paranoia is handcrafted to fit your bias.
But here’s the rub: this could have been a 10/10 had it been edited better, under 2 hours… the first 70 minutes meander like a town hall with no moderator. It could have been a taut 30-35 and with another 5-10 min trimmed from the middle, this would still hit every point, saving the real fireworks for the finale. Once it clicks, though, it’s feverish, funny, and frightening.
Verdict: a 2.5 hour dopamine crash course in why America can’t stop shouting… and why everyone’s watching a different movie. Don’t miss it!
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