Directed by Ari Aster
With Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone
Rated R, 148 minutes
Best known for his elevated horror films that elevated the profile of A24, Ari Aster followed those with two films with Joaquin Phoenix that stray from the horror genre while managing to still scratch a similar itch. Here, the blur of early pandemic days and the short fuses that expose are unpacked. In May of 2020, a standoff between a small-town sheriff (Phoenix) and mayor (Pedro Pascal) sparks a powder keg as neighbor is pitted against neighbor in Eddington, New Mexico.