Overview

• The film arrives in Australia on August 21 and the UK on August 22 after a Cannes premiere and a U.S. run, with a 150‑minute theatrical cut.
• Set in May 2020, the modern Western follows Sheriff Joe Cross, played by Joaquin Phoenix, in a bruising face‑off with Pedro Pascal’s Mayor Ted Garcia in a fictional New Mexico town.
• Fresh reviews from Empire, ABC, Brisbane Times and Little White Lies commend the ambition and craft yet criticize overstuffed plotting and caustic tone.
• A controversial set piece shows a black‑clad militia framed as Antifa arriving by private jet, which Aster says is intentionally open to interpretation.
• Coverage emphasizes themes of social‑media echo chambers, mask‑era disputes, Black Lives Matter protests, conspiracy culture and a looming Big Tech data‑centre project.