Latest news with #darkcomedy
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Eddington' review: Pedro Pascal, Joaquin Phoenix in Ari Aster's paranoia and dread-filled film
Going into Ari Aster new film Eddington, we know that he's a particularly divisive filmmaker. After dividing movie-goers and critics on his previous movies, including Beau Is Afraid, his newest film, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal, is more of the same. Set in May 2020, amid COVID-19 protocols, Eddington takes us to a small town in New Mexico during some of the most terrifying times of the pandemic. A contemporary Western meets satirical dark comedy, Aster stays true to his frequent blend of genres and evaluation of humanity, and the psyche of his characters. Eddington release date: July 18 in theatresDirector and writer: Ari AsterCast: Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix, Austin Butler, Deirdre O'Connell, Micheal WardRuntime: 148 minutes What is 'Eddington' about? In the fictional town of Eddington, New Mexico, mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) and small-town sheriff Joe Cross (Phoenix), patrolling the borders of Eddington and Pueblo, are at odds. Joe's won't adhere or enforce mask mandates and COVID-19 protocols. Happening during Ted's re-election campaign, Joe decides to combat Ted by running against him. At home, Joe lives with his stunted wife Louise (Emma Stone), who passes time by painting odd-looking dolls, and his conspiracy theorist mother-in-law, Dawn (Deirdre O'Connell). If you're wondering, where is the Western element comes through, in this evolution of the genre Aster sees technology as the weapons used against people. Reflecting societal collapse Aster is certainly a uniquely singular filmmaker, and whether you love or hate his films, he effectively leans audiences into unsettling feelings of anxiety. If you're Martin Scorsese, for example, you see jarring tonal shifts in Eddington as a reflection of our complex society. "The film dives right into the side of American life that many people can't bear to look at or even acknowledge — no one wants to listen to anyone else, which is frightening," Scorsese told The New York Times. Where Aster's film can feel too chaotic is in the way that the filmmaker works to capture every possible element in societal collapse, to a point where things can feel dizzying. Conversely, that can certainly also be seen as Aster's committment to being as reflective of real life as possible in this social satire about America. The world is confusing and chaotic, amplified even further when you add pandemic responses to the mix. I will say, of all the films that have been made since the COVID-19 pandemic, none have been able to really effectively create that sense of fear and dread that we experienced in real life. Aster not only creates that feeling in Eddington, but really makes the audience sit in it for an uncomfortably extended amount of time. Adding to the dividing opinions of the movie. The overindulgence in the film also creates a barrier when watching, resulting in a ending that doesn't feel as satisfying as many will crave. But ultimately, Aster is determined in his approach to the film, accurately reflecting how disorienting our world is, in a filmmaking style that always feels particularly intriguing.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ari Aster Knew Eddington Was Going To Be Divisive, And He Explains Why That Didn't Stop Him
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Since the premiere of Ari Aster's Eddington at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, the word I've constantly heard/seen to describe it is 'divisive.' It's a dark comedy set during the summer of 2020 – a time period that has a lot of baggage for all of us – and it examines the moment in our recent history via the lens of a small town in New Mexico. It's conflict-filled subject matter that has inflamed strong opinions… and that means that it is doing what its writer/director intended it to do. When I sat down with Aster and actors Luke Grimes and Micheal Ward late last month for an interview during the Los Angeles press day for the new 2025 feature, I made note of the 'divisive' response, and I asked the filmmaker about how he factors audience reaction into his work and how he expects his movies to play with movie-goers. He explained that there are certain stages involved when he is constructing a screenplay – but the first time he digs into a story, he is writing purely what he wants to write. Said the filmmaker, Well, I try to not get caught up and worry about how something's gonna like land while I'm writing. I try to just not restrain anything. And then once it's on paper, it's kind of a matter of keeping my nerve and maybe being smart enough to know what maybe should be plucked. I don't know. But we knew it was gonna be divisive. It's about polarization; it's about division. And we tried to pull back as far as we could to have it be about the environment where kind of everybody is kind of in one way or another missing part of the picture. What makes Eddington particularly complicated material are the motivations of its characters – including a sheriff (played by Joaquin Phoenix) agitated with the state-mandated Covid restrictions and the mayor (Pedro Pascal) with big money investors in his upcoming re-election campaign who is hoping to land a deal for the construction of a server farm. Elements of their behavior are hyper-politicized and magnified during a tremendously stressful time, but they aren't specifically acting in bad faith. The movie itself is about fractures in our society, and confronting audiences with that is going to naturally get a divisive reaction. Aster continued: Everybody in the movie cares about the world. Every character cares about the world, knows that something's wrong, has a feeling that something's wrong, but they have different pictures of what that is. The ensemble of characters in the story include the sheriff's wife (Emma Stone), who finds herself falling down a conspiracy theory rabbit hole; a Black officer (Micheal Ward) who finds himself the subject of strange attention amid the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests; and a teen (Cameron Mann) who gets sucked into progressive activism to get the attention of his crush (Amèlie Hoeferle). As the Hereditary/Middsommar filmmaker explains, they all know that everything isn't functioning properly and they try to contribute toward its betterment… but nothing about modernity is black and white. Added Aster, Everybody in the movie cares about the world. Every character cares about the world, knows that something's wrong, has a feeling that something's wrong, but they have different pictures of what that is. Also starring Austin Butler, Deirdre O'Connell, and William Belleau, all of the controversy of Eddington will be arriving in theaters courtesy of A24 this Friday, July 18. Solve the daily Crossword
Screen Geek
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Screen Geek
Exclusive: 'Eddington' Star Joaquin Phoenix Discusses Collaboration with Ari Aster
Ari Aster has been changing the way we think about horror since the release of his feature film, Hereditary (2018). The filmmaker has become one of the key figures in the elevated horror genre (sorry to those that don't like that label) with splices of dark humor. Although Hereditary 's theme centers on grief, and Midsommar (2019) explores toxic relationships, both movies still contain some comedic moments. 2023's Beau Is Afraid took Aster's flavor of dark comedy to the forefront of his storytelling, and the director revisits this approach with his latest film, Eddington (2025). The premise of the contemporary Western black comedy has been under wraps for some time, with many calling it a standoff between a small-town sheriff and mayor in Eddington, New Mexico. The film, written and directed by Aster, brings actors Pedro Pascal and Joaquin Phoenix on a collision course during the COVID-19 pandemic. Phoenix has worked with Aster in Beau Is Afraid , and the two have been vibing well enough that it may be the start of a longstanding collaborative relationship. We were able to attend a roundtable with Joaquin Phoenix on that notion and his working relationship with Aster. Eddington is your second film with Ari Aster, and the two of you have enough chemistry that you fully grasp the material. You guys are copacetic in terms of mindset and approach to the character in the movie — examples like Scorsese and De Niro, Spike Lee and Denzel Washington. So, is this second film maybe the beginning of a blossoming relationship and continuing collaboration? Joaquin Phoenix: Well, that's so flattering, but I will not say that we are in the same class as those fellows. I'll speak for myself. I don't feel like I sit shoulder to shoulder with those guys, but that's very nice to say that. I would hope so. I adore Ari. I love his observations, human behavior, the way that he writes, and really just how much he really cares about making films. It's pure. I've worked with a lot of directors, and there are many different reasons why people do what they do. But there's something very pure and innocent about Ari's love for film and filmmaking, and it's inspiring. To be honest, at my age, after I've made so many movies, there reached a point where you're just human, where you can grow bored or complacent. Sometimes you don't have that same natural fuel that you do when you're 20 years old and you're trying to make it and you're just so fucking full of drive and ambition. To work with somebody like Ari, where that is still so alive in him and he sees it in you, that is a gift. And so I love working with him, and I consider him a friend. I would do anything with Ari again, for sure. Eddington is set to release in theaters nationwide on July 18th.
Geek Tyrant
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Trailer for Dark Indie Comedy ET TU Starring Lou Diamond Phillips and Malcolm McDowell — GeekTyrant
A new trailer has been released for the indie dark comedy Et Tu , the big screen debut from director Max Tzannes, who also wrote the screenplay. The film stars Lou Diamond Phillips ( La Bamba , Stand and Deliver ), as well as Malcolm McDowell, Antwone Barnes, Isabella Blake-Thomas, Rachel Alig, and Brennan Keel Cook. The synopsis reads: 'Brent (Lou Diamond Phillips) is not a happy director. For weeks, he's had to watch an awful play - his awful play. Adding insult to injury, he's convinced his wife is having an affair with his idiot leading man. 'Fortunately for Brent, the theater's Janitor has been mopping the stage long enough to know a dark secret that may help rid him of his troubles. That is, so long as he's willing to get some blood on his hands.' This looks like a fun original flick, and it's cool to see Lou Diamond Phillips when he pops up in projects. He's a great actor, and this looks like a good role for him. Check out the trailer below, and watch Et Tu in select US theaters on July 25th.
New York Times
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The ‘Heathers' Musical Is Back, With a Little Less Darkness
When the pitch-black comedy 'Heathers' came out in 1989, a review in The New York Times said it was 'as snappy and assured as it is mean-spirited.' An early scene was said to have 'the air of a demonic sitcom.' This may explain why the composer Laurence O'Keefe initially had reservations about working on a musical adaptation. 'I thought it was too nihilistic,' O'Keefe said of the movie, in which a frustrated senior (Winona Ryder) and her murderous boyfriend (Christian Slater) dispatch members of their high school's bullying elite with theatrical violence. 'This material is in some ways more despairing than 'Sweeney Todd.'' Yet O'Keefe still thought there was a way to make the story palatable for the stage. He was right: These days, 'Heathers: The Musical,' the adaptation he created with the writer Kevin Murphy and the director Andy Fickman, is gaining cult-classic status in its own right. It took a decade, but in December the Off Broadway production's cast album, from 2014, went gold. Packed with a mercilessly catchy mix of bangers ('Candy Store') and ballads ('Seventeen'), the recording was instrumental in fueling a 'Heathers' craze in Britain, where the show has had several West End runs and tours, which were further immortalized in a second cast album and a live capture. Now 'Heathers: The Musical' has returned to New World Stages, where it had its original New York engagement back in 2014. This version incorporates changes, including new songs, made to the show in the intervening decade. It will open on July 10 with a sterling cast list led by Lorna Courtney ('& Juliet') as the arty senior Veronica; Casey Likes (last seen on Broadway in 'Back to the Future: The Musical') as the vengeful J.D.; and McKenzie Kurtz, Elizabeth Teeter and Olivia Hardy as the school's queen bees, all named Heather. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
