After Beau is Afraid, I had no idea what to expect from this. Stochastic filmmaking? Is that what this is? There’s a lot of different elements at work here, from the narrative to the, well, no, just the narrative. The visual style is pretty even, kind of a No Country for Old Men kinda vibe given the overall settings, especially once we hit the inevitable Aster Halfway Mark. I don’t mind the template. He works it good. But damn. This one is a lot to chew on.
Late May, 2020. “Real life.” Small town of Eddington, New Mexico Sheriff Joe just doing his job amongst the recently rolled-out pandemic, and witnessing its deteriorating effects it’s having on the townsfolk. He seems to have a history with the mayor Ted, some beef even the guys at the station are aware of. Joe’s wife, she a bit odd. Her mom, living with them? Bit of a kinda political conspiracy bird. Makes for an interesting home life and how it affects them all, especially through the recently mandated shut-downs. Then the societal politics (aka Fuckeries) come more to the forefront, from the local Mayor election to...pretty much every level. It...gets a little twisted, mostly in a bad way. And when I say mostly, I mean completely. Because that’s just how Aster rolls.
The basic narrative is just the delivery device of the overall crazies, like a cracker being the Uber for the piece of cheese. And that cheese? Some wicked stuff. Interesting encapsulation here of current events, now over 5(!) years removed, and seeing how that plays out in a small town bordering a local Indian reservation. “Real life” topics and headlines, the pandemic, the masks, the George Floyd, the riots, the antifa, all swirling around. And a couple more items, to make it even more interesting and chaotic. It’s not good stuff. I reviewed Network not too long ago, partially kind of the same vibe. Maybe a little Wag the Dog too, for good measure. But this is a different level. A modern level. And an unfortunate reality level. But ultimately, a fictional level. There’s a saying about two movies, one screen. Just depends on the angle you are seeing it from. I hopes we can get this shit in focus soon or we all go blind. Again, Interesting snapshot of the times. It’s an uncomfortable spot, just where Aster likes to put us, so well done there.
