Next Best Picture Podcast

"Eddington" had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival where it received mixed reviews for its story of the fictional town of Eddington, New Mexico, set during 2020, where a rivalry between Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) and Mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) reaches a combustible state of political and social turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Director and writer, Ari Aster, the masterful filmmaker behind films such as "Hereditary," "Midsommar" and "Beau Is Afraid" is not unfamiliar with this kind of polarizing response to his provocative films and in fact, he welcomes the debate, discussion and reflection in hopes that his work will bring us closer together during a time where we're more divided than ever before. Aster and Academy Award-winning star Joaquin Phoenix were kind enough to speak with us about their work and experiences making the film, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which is now playing in theaters nationwide from A24. Thank you, and enj