Eddington (2025)

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

Empire of Light (2022)

In a quiet English coastal town in 1980, a lonely, aging woman works at the Empire Cinema as a theatre manager. A new, much younger hire threatens to shake up her world. Sam Mendes's romantic drama serves as a stirring homage to cinema that didn't quite resonate with me as deeply as I would have hoped. The romantic aspect wasn't entirely convincing, and the story quickly shifted into something else completely different. I kind of wish they chose to focus more on the history of the theater and the magic of the movies. I thought the most interesting character was Norman, the projectionist, especially when he stayed late to screen Being There for Hilary. The sweeping cinematography and music was in fine form (especially the rooftop fireworks scene depicted on the poster), but the end result feels more than a little underwhelming.

3 skinhead marches out of 5