Eddington 4K - Fierce Satire in Covid-Era USA
A scathing take on pandemic America, compressed into a mad provincial microcosm
In the midst of May 2020, in the sleepy town of Eddington (New Mexico), the clash between the sheriff and the mayor ignites a community already fragile and subjected to anti-Covid rules, suspended between fear, misinformation, and social tensions. Ari Aster abandons the more abstract drifts of his previous works and constructs a story more anchored to reality with a fierce gaze.
The film is a bitter satire on pandemic America: fake news, polarization, civil claims, and class conflicts intertwine in a microcosm that seems small but speaks to everyone. At its center is a subdued and contradictory protagonist played by Joaquin Phoenix, capable of transforming an ordinary and awkward man into a tragically human figure. Around him revolves a rich cast – from Pedro Pascal to Emma Stone – although not everyone finds the space they deserve.
Black Humor, High Tension, and Provincial Follies
Grotesque moments alternate with sudden dramatic accelerations, although the pace tends to sag in the central part and the final explosion takes longer than necessary to arrive, despite leaving its mark. It doesn't achieve the compactness of Hereditary, but it marks a convincing turning point: an imperfect and biting neo-political western that reflects our collective obsessions without offering easy consolations.
Shot digitally at dual 4.6K resolution (Arri Alexa 35) and some 1080p inserts (Sony PMW-320K), finalized on a native 4K master (3840 x 2160/23.97p), HEVC encoding on a triple-layer BD-100. Original image format 1.85:1, this edition does justice to Aster's new display of elegance, as well as that of cinematographer Darius Khondji. In this sense, the level of detail is superior to 2K, as is the chromatic breadth and warm tones that oscillate between ochre, sepia, and brown. The result is thanks to Dolby Vision, with further fidelity also for the dynamics of lights, improving the transition of night sequences.
Overall, the audio compartment is good, despite a 16-bit resolution for the Italian and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks, with the original gaining even more in terms of dynamic range, as well as for direct dialogue. Effects with a decent presence, also for the sub, for a listening experience that favors narration through an HT system.
No extras, not even on the BD-50 with the 2K version.