Overview

• Eddington opened in U.S. theaters on July 18 with a $4 million debut that fell short of expectations.
• Early audiences and critics have remained sharply divided, with reactions ranging from admiration for its bold allegory to frustration over its narrative opacity.
• Recent second viewings have prompted critics to highlight the film’s depiction of pandemic-era paranoia through its horror-Western framework.
• Several reviewers have cited the film’s nearly three-hour runtime and loose plot developments as detracting from its thematic impact.
• Ari Aster sets the story in a fictional New Mexico town where a mask-defiant sheriff clashes with a mask-mandating mayor to dramatize broader social and corporate tensions during the COVID era.