Ari Aster’s fourth film, Eddington, is set in May of 2020 and depicts a standoff between a small-town sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) and mayor (Pedro Pascal) that, per distributor A24, “sparks a powder keg as neighbor is pitted against neighbor in Eddington, New Mexico.” You wouldn’t know from its official logline that the film has any connection to the Covid-19 pandemic. Not so for the film’s first teaser, which depicts Phoenix’s character doomscrolling, as many of us did, during what appears to be lockdown.

Aster’s film, which will have its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival next month, also stars Emma Stone, Austin Butler, Luke Grimes, Deirdre O’Connell, Micheal Ward, Clifton Collins Jr., William Belleau, Cameron Mann, Matt Gomez Hidaka, and Amélie Hoeferle.

Eddington opens on July 18.

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