Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal Face Off in Ari Aster’s COVID-Era Western ‘Eddington’

The first teaser for Ari Aster’s highly anticipated new film, “Eddington,” has just dropped — and it’s already sparking intense discussion. Blending pandemic-era paranoia with the gritty dynamics of a modern Western, the film marks a dramatic return for the acclaimed director following his polarising 2023 film Beau Is Afraid. Set in Eddington, New Mexico, during the tense early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020, Eddington pits a small-town sheriff, played by Joaquin Phoenix, against the town’s mayor, portrayed by Pedro Pascal, in a confrontation that spirals into chaos. According to A24’s official synopsis, the movie explores a moment when “neighbour is pitted against neighbour,” as social trust fractures and conspiracy theories bloom in the arid heat of the American Southwest.

The Eddington teaser, which dropped just ahead of the Cannes Film Festival — where Eddington will debut in competition — offers a haunting first look at a town gripped by fear, paranoia, and resentment. Characters are introduced mid-conversation, trading theories about government control, viral hoaxes, and personal freedom in what feels like a cinematic “doomscroll” brought to life. The film leans heavily into the ambient dread and confusion that defined the early pandemic period, echoing real-life divides with unnerving precision.

Joaquin Phoenix, reuniting with Ari Aster after their work on Beau Is Afraid, is again fully immersed in a role demanding psychological depth and intensity. Aster recently praised Joaquin Phoenix’s approach, noting in an interview with director Yorgos Lanthimos that the actor is deeply collaborative and questions the material in ways that sharpen its emotional core. “The question usually amounts to ‘Is there anything we haven’t considered here?’” Aster said. “Now I can’t imagine making a film without him.”

Pedro Pascal, coming off high-profile roles in The Last of Us and The Mandalorian, matches Phoenix’s intensity with a simmering performance as a small-town politician whose authority is both tested and twisted in the face of public unrest.

Eddington ensemble cast is stacked with talent, including Austin Butler, Emma Stone, Luke Grimes, Deirdre O’Connell, Micheal Ward, Amélie Hoeferle, Clifton Collins Jr., and William Belleau. With such a lineup, Eddington is poised to be one of A24’s most ambitious projects yet.

This is Ari Aster’s fourth film under the A24 banner, following his celebrated horror hits Hereditary and Midsommar, and the more divisive Beau Is Afraid. With Eddington, Aster steps into new genre territory — still psychologically rich, but grounded in contemporary political and social tensions rather than supernatural horrors.

Eddington, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal, premieres at Cannes this May and will open in U.S. theatres on July 18. Whether it becomes a cultural flashpoint or a gripping drama, the film is already shaping up to be one of the most talked-about releases of 2025.

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