The 78th Cannes Film Festival is more than halfway through, and the public generally believes that the quality of the films shortlisted for this year's Palme d'Or is acceptable, but there is no outstanding film that stands out. However, if we talk about the most controversial film this year, it seems to be "Eddington" by American director Ari Aster.
Reviews for the film were extremely polarized. In the critics' rating of Screen magazine, commonly known as the Cannes program guide, it ranked last with 1.5 points (out of a total of 4 points); the freshness of Rotten Tomatoes has climbed from the initial score of just passing the passing line to the current 69%.
On May 17, 2025, local time, in Cannes, France, the 78th Cannes Film Festival, Ari Aster (fourth from right), director of "Eddington", took a group photo with a group of main creators. Visual China Photo
The film is titled Eddington, a fictional town in New Mexico, which can be seen as a microcosm of the United States. The sheriff, played by Joaquin Phoenix, has been in office for many years. He and his wife (Emma Stone) and mother-in-law (Deirdre O'Connor) have been living in temporary isolation during the epidemic. The election for the new mayor is about to begin, and the sheriff is eager to try. His opponent is the current mayor played by Pedro Pascal, a real-life California Governor Newsom-like figure.
"Eddington" only received 1.5 points in the Cannes program brochure and is currently ranked last.
Since its premiere on May 16th, local time, "Eddington" has become the focus of heated discussion at the Cannes Film Festival. Those who like it and those who hate it all have clear attitudes, and there are few neutral views. Supporters believe that this is an excellent social satire that mocks and ridicules the chaos in the epidemic era; although it is indeed a bit unbearable at 146 minutes, it is still a successful condensation overall. Oppositions are mainly directed at the film's approach of criticizing both the left and right in the United States. It seems to be detached and neutral, but in fact it is superficial and mercenary. It is consuming various heavy social topics in American society, and it is too long and grand.
The sheriff played by Joaquin Phoenix (left) and the mayor played by Pedro Pascal are on opposite sides of the issue.
At a press conference held on May 17 local time, director Ari Aster said that he was not surprised at all that the film caused completely different impressions; because this is the real world we live in now, even family members living under the same roof will come to completely different conclusions when looking at the same thing; the distance between people is unprecedentedly far.
"When I wrote this script, my heart was filled with fear and anxiety about the world today," Esther, 38, admitted at the press conference. "What I want to show is this feeling at the moment: what is true and what is false, such a simple question can no longer make people reach a consensus. In the past 20 years, we have gone from individualism to an era of super individualism. In the past, there was a backbone force that could unite everyone, that is, a worldview that everyone agreed on. But now, this foundation no longer exists. In my opinion, what completely destroyed this foundation is the emergence of the epidemic. Therefore, "Eddington" is a film of my current understanding of the United States. I feel bad and I am worried."
"Eddington" is scheduled to be officially released in North America on July 18.
According to him, the script of "Eddington" had a prototype very early, and it was a western story he wrote when he first entered the industry. However, in the end, he still filmed "Hereditary" and "Midsummer Night's Terror" first. During his promotion of his third work "Bo is Terrible", he also took the time to update "Eddington", transplanting the story to the time and space background of the epidemic, telling the story of the chaos in the town where neighbors turned against each other and the situation was completely out of control.
In Aster's view, whether you like the movie "Eddington" or not, he hopes that after watching it, the audience will realize that in order to eliminate the barriers between people, whether they stand on the left or the right, it is necessary to start "getting in touch with each other again." After the Cannes Film Festival, "Eddington" is scheduled to be released in North America on July 18.
