Festivals - Cannes 2025 : Ari Aster electrifies the Croisette with Eddington, a dark and timely Western that redefines the genre

By Mulder, Cannes, Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes, 16 may 2025

It was a night to remember at the 78th Cannes Film Festival as Ari Aster, the mind behind Hereditary, Midsommar, and Beau Is Afraid, made his long-awaited debut on the Croisette with Eddington, a haunting psychological Western set against the eerie backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Grand Théâtre Lumière was ablaze with flashing cameras and hushed anticipation on Friday, May 16, as the world premiere unspooled before an audience that included Hollywood royalty, a star-studded cast, and a Palme d’Or-hungry press corps. For Aster, this was not just a new film — it was a return to a concept he had nurtured for nearly a decade, finally reshaped by the haunting immediacy of recent history.

Ari Aster didn’t just arrive — he conquered. Dressed in a subdued tuxedo but radiating confidence, the director walked the red carpet alongside a veritable dream ensemble: Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Austin Butler, Luke Grimes, Clifton Collins Jr., Micheal Ward, Amelie Hoeferle, Matt Gomez Hidaka, and Cameron Mann. The glamorous procession was met with cheers from the crowd, many of whom had been camped outside the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès since early morning. Adding to the evening’s gravitas were special guests like Angelina Jolie, Natalie Portman, Rooney Mara, Joel Edgerton, Harris Dickinson, and jury members Juliette Binoche, Jeremy Strong, and Leïla Slimani — each one a silent nod to the film’s already mythic stature. Aster's leap from arthouse horror to socially infused Western might have seemed unlikely years ago, but as the Lumière lights dimmed, it became clear he had not lost his penchant for the disturbing.

Eddington pulls no punches. Set in May 2020, in a fictional New Mexico town teetering on the brink, the film captures a uniquely American crisis with uncanny precision and apocalyptic beauty. Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of Joe Cross, a world-weary sheriff trying to keep his town from imploding, is perhaps one of his most nuanced performances since The Master. His rival, Mayor Ted Garcia, played with charismatic menace by Pedro Pascal, is the personification of political gaslighting — a populist leader whose obsession with misinformation and control turns neighbor against neighbor. The dynamic between these two men — both broken, both desperate — unfolds like a pressure cooker drama. Add to this the simmering performances of Emma Stone and Austin Butler, and Eddington becomes less a movie than a societal autopsy in motion.

What makes Eddington resonate so deeply is its bold confrontation with themes that remain painfully fresh: the paranoia of isolation, the distortion of truth, and the delicate fabric of community unraveling in real time. As the pandemic serves less as a backdrop and more as a living, breathing character, Aster directs with surgical intensity, aided by Darius Khondji’s wide, dusty cinematography that makes every barren street and empty porch feel loaded with silent threat. The film’s narrative heartbeat pulses through Lucian Johnston’s deliberate editing, refusing easy catharsis. There’s a scene — already the subject of social media dissection — where Phoenix’s sheriff confronts a mob of armed townsfolk, their faces obscured by American flags and conspiracy, that is among the most chillingly accurate depictions of pandemic-era division ever committed to film.

From a production standpoint, Eddington is nothing short of a masterclass. Backed by A24 and Square Peg, the film was shot on location in Albuquerque and Truth or Consequences, New Mexico — a choice that lent an eerie realism to the setting. That heat-scorched, desert authenticity is matched only by the film’s piercing score, composed by Bobby Krlic and Daniel Pemberton. Both composers, known for their emotional texture and sonic dissonance, collaborate to build a musical atmosphere that oscillates between elegiac and unhinged. Their work here doesn’t just complement the film — it enhances its psychological chokehold. In a film where the line between internal and external collapse is always blurry, the music often feels like the last tether to sanity.

Yet, what truly elevates Eddington is the context behind its creation. Aster has reportedly had the idea for this film long before Hereditary made him a household name, with early drafts gestating over five years. It was only during the global uncertainty of 2020 that the script evolved into something more urgent and prophetic. The fact that the final product carries the weight of lived trauma — both societal and personal — is evident in every frame. The casting changes along the way, particularly Austin Butler stepping into a key role originally attached to Christopher Abbott, seem almost fated. Butler, fresh off his Elvis-fueled fame, brings a gritty, restrained intensity that plays perfectly off Phoenix’s slow-burning stoicism.

As Cannes audiences exited the theater late Friday night, the buzz was undeniable. Eddington is not an easy film — nor is it meant to be. Its 145-minute runtime doesn’t allow for comfort, but rather demands introspection. Critics called it a “Risqué Fantasia on National Themes,” and while that description captures its audacity, it underplays the quiet devastation it leaves in its wake. With the U.S. release slated for July 18 and a French release just two days earlier, this film seems poised not only to provoke debates but also to mark a seismic shift in the modern Western genre. Ari Aster didn’t just bring a film to Cannes — he brought a reckoning.

For those who weren’t lucky enough to attend the premiere, photos capturing the feverish energy and haunting glamour of the evening can be viewed on Mulderville’s official Flickr gallery under the lens of @fannyrlphotography. From Emma Stone’s regal appearance to the unguarded laughter between Ari Aster and Joaquin Phoenix, the images underscore what the night truly was: not just a red-carpet event, but a coronation of Ari Aster as one of the most important auteurs of his generation. Eddington isn’t just a movie — it’s a mirror held up to a nation, a fever dream of truth and terror, and a major contender for this year’s Palme d’Or.

You can discover our photos in our Flickr page

Synopsis : 
May 2020 in Eddington, a small town in New Mexico, the confrontation between the sheriff and the mayor sets the stage for conflict, pitting residents against each other.

Eddington
Written and directed by Ari Aster
Produced by Ari Aster, Lars Knudsen, Ann Ruark
Starring  Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Luke Grimes, Deirdre O'Connell, Micheal Ward, Austin Butler, Emma Stone
Cinematography : Darius Khondji
Edited by Lucian Johnston
Music by Daniel Pemberton, Bobby Krlic
Production companies : A24, Access Entertainment, Square Peg, IPR.VC
Distributed by A24 (United States), Metropolitan FilmExport (France)
Release dates : May 16, 2025 (Cannes), July 16, 2025 (France),  July 18, 2025 (United States)
Running time : 145 minutes

Photos : @fannyrlphotography