Eddington Is Ari Aster’s Best Movie (And I’ll Die On That Hill)

The following contains spoilers for Eddington, now playing in theatersEddington is the most I’ve ever liked an Ari Aster movie. Making his feature directorial debut with 2018’s critically acclaimed Hereditary​​​​​​, Aster has become one of modern cinema’s most unique filmmakers. With a clear focus on troubled family dynamics and a willingness to confront queasy subjects matter in his stories, Aster has developed a fan base that I have not really counted myself among. While I think he’s talented, I only liked one of his previous films and thought the other two were seriously overrated.

Eddington has changed my mind. I think it highlights all of Aster’s skills, with a strong script and sense of ambition that doesn’t sacrifice character depth or thematic weight. It tells a more ambitious story that feels rooted in the stories that intrigue him, expanded upon in ways that appeal to a broader audience. It’s everything that Ari Aster does well, refined into an effective new package. Eddington is one of my favorite movies of the year, and I’ll argue that it’s the best movie Ari Aster has made yet.

Eddington Is Everything I Like About Ari Aster

Ari Aster Is A Good Director, And Eddington Is A Great Film

Eddington is a confrontational, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking movie — reflecting all of Ari Aster’s strengths as a filmmaker without falling prey to his shortcomings. Even if I think he’s a very talented filmmaker, I haven’t been the biggest fan of all his movies.

I’ve written before about why I think Hereditary is overrated, especially in comparison to other films with similar themes. Beau is Afraid is a painfully effective movie, but I hate cringe content and spent most of the movie feeling more panicked than I would during a slasher. I’d never want to rewatch it. Previously, my favorite movie of Ari Aster’s was Midsommar.

It had the horror elements that made Hereditary so memorable, but I felt like the characters were better fleshed out, the larger setting was more engaging, and the themes about all-consuming grief were better explored. Eddington has all of those aspects as well, refined and grounded in a painfully human way.

The cast of Eddington is a fascinating cross-section of humanity, with a good deal of uncomfortable depth seeping out of their external presentations. The focus on the town at large gives the narrative a wider impact that feeds into the conflicts in unexpected ways. The themes about grief are expanded to include thwarted romance, political ambitions, and societal change.

All these things cause grief for the main characters of Eddington, ensuring the entire cast reacts naturally to human disappointment with the kind of fury, sadness, and desperation that have defined people for eons. Ari Aster nails that contradictory sense of self-assurance and desperation, delivering his most human story to date.

Eddington Is Ari Aster’s Most Broadly Appealing Movie Yet

Anyone Can See Themselves In (And Be Infuriated By) Eddington

One of the things that makes Eddington so good is the way it doesn’t simply zero in on one person and their failings. Instead, the movie has a larger focus on the town as a whole, highlighting their choices and how it impacts others. While Joe might be the main character, the film spends plenty of time with his deputies, his family, his political rival, and his neighbor.

No one is a flawless hero in this film, save perhaps the exasperated reservation police officer, Butterfly Jimenez. There are no easy villains. This makes for engaging conflict that builds off natural flaws and opinions. No one gets a tidy arc. Every character faced by societal challenges — either their own making or targeting them directly.

That broad appeal and focus on a large number of grounded characters allows Eddington to showcase all sorts of perspectives that a more singular story could tackle. As a result, Eddington allows Aster to step away from the singular emotional focus to highlight how an entire society reacts to challenges. It makes for a far more riveting story.

Eddington Is Ambitious In A Way Ari Aster’s Movies Aren’t

Ari Aster Wants You To Be Uncomfortable, And Eddington Nails That

Midsommar might have been about a village, but it was very much Dani’s story. The grief of the families in Hereditary and Beau is Afraid are haunting, but very emotionally focused. By contrast, Eddington tackles a lot of different ideas and themes. It does them all with a confidence that suggests any could drive an entire film on their own.

This is why I loved Eddington as much as I did. There’s a keen sense of character and depth afforded the entire cast. Even the more purposefully mysterious characters feel like ciphers instead of blank faces. There’s a lot going on under the surface of these characters, giving figures like Joe, Dawn, Michael, and Brian some genuinely fascinating arcs.

I think Ari Aster has proven himself a genuine auteur, with a keen eye for awkward comedy, vulnerable characters, and effective twists. I also think Eddington uses those to elements to great effect, as it highlights how all of his skills are used in service of the kind of character drama that doesn’t get made as much in modern cinema.

There’s a clear focus on character in Eddington that is deeply effective, presenting deeply flawed and even sometimes despicable people as people. That’s something Aster’s previous films could sometimes struggle with, whether that be the creepy cult of Hereditary or the one-note supporting characters of Midsommar.

The villains in Eddington (save for one very specific character) are presented as fully fleshed out. Even a potentially one-note stereotype like the Drifter teases out a deeper tragic history that the movie only hints at but uses to inform his scenes. Eddington is the best showcase of Aster’s talents, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.