Overview

• New reviews highlight a farcical, politically pointed tone, with Empire praising the audacity and Brisbane Times offering a positive but qualified three‑and‑a‑half‑star take.
• Aster says the film is a Rorschach test by design and argues a split reception fits a story about fractured realities and feedback loops.
• Set in early 2020 New Mexico, the story uses Western iconography to explore mask disputes, protest culture and online echo chambers without offering easy moral signposts.
• Joaquin Phoenix plays Sheriff Joe Cross opposite Pedro Pascal’s Mayor Ted Garcia, with Emma Stone and Austin Butler among a high‑profile ensemble.
• The film opens in cinemas on August 21 in some markets, with a UK release on August 22, following its polarizing Cannes debut earlier this year.