Eddington Reviews

I didn’t like the movie’s perpetuation of the most extreme beliefs, which also led to extremely unlikeable characters and more focus on woke propaganda than a nuanced message

6.5/10
i was gonna say what an interesting film about covid-19, it’s cool to see a movie about something i also experienced! i wonder if it’s a true story!
and then the rest of the movie happened

9.4 - I think there is actually more than two response camps (love it or hate it) to this.

One is like/love it because Ari Aster makes good but distressing movies. One is like/love it because of its depth & commentary on current social dynamics & politics & how covid has rewired us on both micro & macro scales. One is hate it cause they don’t like Aster & his stories & don’t want to relive Covid. And the last is the “just don’t get it” group.

I think I’m in the second set.

This is Aster’s signature deeply layered, immensely detailed, show not tell, multiple interpretations from multiple angles writing through & through - & it starts from minute one with the introduction of solidgoldmagikarp. (And ends in the same place with the implication that they affected the events at the end of the film to achieve their goals and no person’s actions throughout the film mattered one bit to that ultimate resolution.

If you don’t know what a solidgoldmagikarp is, read about it because it’s a real concept, and it ties the entire theme of the movie together. Quick idea is it’s a glitch or anomaly that changes learning models & can cause erratic behavior. Covid was our current society’s sgmk. It broke down our shared experiences & realities.

Throughout this entire movie it showcases multiple contradictory, conflicting & confused views & responses to the same events, and almost all are at least in part valid views from their angle. Mask mandates, new businesses, protests & riots, BLM, social media, grifter cults, conspiracy theories, self identity, political affiliation, interpersonal power dynamics - it’s all scathingly satirized. There is something to confirm, & likely offend, almost everyone in here. (Though I think Aster’s personal politics are still pretty clear - the left’s mistakes are hypocritical, egotistical, & frustrating & the right’s mistakes are predatory in multiple ways & murderous. These sins are not equal.) What is made clear at the end though, is that no matter what side you stand on, the dishonest, the grifters, & the powerful end up on top and those with the best of intentions (maybe not methods) don’t. It’s a bleak but realistic statement that not many can make as well as Aster can.

All in, what I learned from Aster’s other work is there is always more under the surface & in the details & I think that’s why people dislike him. He isn’t going to have characters get into deep philosophical debates to prove the point, he’s going to have them argue over minutia like whether the homeless man is a paying customer at a currently operating place of business. Or he’s going to imply repeatedly that Louise was assaulted by her own father & show how all those most closely affected by that fact grapple with (or manipulate & deflect) that truth. All to say, I’m certain there’s still so much more I missed that is keeping this from a first watch five star rating, but I think I’ll get there.

this is a portrait of america today. you are not supposed to like these characters, you are supposed to realize their hysteria through the internet has caused irreparable societal damage. a phenomenal film, every actor/character is excellent

Turned it off after 20 minutes

Dang it it’s just the best movie of the year

one thing abt ari astor is that when i see joaquin phoenix i already know it’s gonna be a LONG WINDED MOVIE. when i saw 2 hr 30 minutes i literally gasped. that being said i liked it. pedro is SLOWLY coming back into my good graces. we aren’t acquainted rn. and why was joaquin sexy. idk what it was but he looked like he stinks and i wanted to kiss him. i feel like this role was for nick offerman.
this was so cringe cause of the VERY VERY ACCURATE portrait of how performative white activism was back in 2020. him at the end serving conservativism because it served him made so much sense. omg it was so preformative.
there’s like too much to say and no way to explain it.
I FORGOT TO SAY I SAW JOAQUINS COCK AND BALLS

I liked the major themes and the notion that the internet creates these alternate realities, especially during Covid where everyone is isolated and on their phone. I think it could have better highlighted how real victims are often forgotten. Still, I love Ari Aster’s style.

7

7.5was good but a little boring

Take me back❤️

This feels like one of those films that, after a few years, will grow an almost cult-like following, but that's what I think about most Ari Aster films. I was unsure about the mixed reviews, but it makes sense. There's a clear distinction between the documentary-like first half and the thriller-like second. Both with highs and lows, although I think it mostly depends on whether the audience is politically aware enough to understand. Personally, I see an honest retelling of today's battle between corporations, citizens, activists, police, media, and leaders. Balancing the errors of both the left and right with such harsh satirical humour/horror was very necessary, especially since leaning far enough unironically keeps both sides fighting in a bubble, away from the real fight they're both ironically fighting for.

2/5 - genuinely what a load of shit. I’m only giving it 2 stars for the cinematography and score, the only good parts of the film. It was trying to be a satire against both sides of the “agendas” of 2020, but felt like it leaned more into the anti-woke & anti-blm side of things - when it could even decide on a plot. It just insisted upon itself, and it felt far too soon for some of the 2020 based topics discussed. Save yourself the 2.5 hours and give this one a miss.

Meh Highly
Rating: 66

ironically, after watching this we walked into a shop that had a mask policy 😀

I dont even have any specific thoughts on this movie, it was just good lol worth the watch

Depicts the craziness of that time in different ways

Now we know Pheonix has a PECKER

I give this movie the FINGER 🖕🏻

I don’t know. Didn’t hate it. Liked a good portion of it, but not sure if it all worked. Still processing my thoughts on it.

6.8/10 - What’s there not to love about a modern satirical western movie about covid!? This movie touches on a ton of big topics and essentially makes everyone look like the idiot. At times it was uncomfortable, funny, thrilling, and flat out boring but overall I enjoyed it.