Ari Aster takes a page out of the Coen Brothers' book in this darkly satirical, gritty crime thriller taking place in May 2020 during the early days of COVID, charged racial protests and civic unrest across the country. In the sleepy town of Eddington, New Mexico, a small-time sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) decides to stand up to local mask mandates and run for mayor against the incumbent (Pedro Pascal) whom he holds a grudge against. And that's about all I can say without veering off into spoiler territory. It's sprawling and depressing as hell in the way that only Aster excels at, and it goes much further than you'd ever expect it to go. I can't say if the payoff was worth the price of admission, but it's the type of film that'll get stuck in your head for all the wrong reasons.
3½ coughs out of 5
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