Pedro Pascal, left, and Joaquin Phoenix pose for photographers at the photo call for the film ‘Eddington’ at the 78th international Cannes film festival
| Photo Credit: AP
Eddington, Ari Aster’s bold new Western thriller, premiered to a five-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival Friday night, leaving audiences stunned and star Joaquin Phoenix in tears. But it was Pedro Pascal who delivered the most pointed commentary at the post-screening press conference, turning heads with his passionate response to the current state of American politics.
“F**k the people that try to make you scared,” Pascal declared when asked if he was worried about returning to the U.S. after starring in a film with such a charged message. “Fear is the way that they win… Fight back. Don’t let them win.”
Set in May 2020 during the height of the COVID pandemic, Eddington explores the chaos of a small New Mexico town where a standoff between a sheriff (Phoenix) and a mayor (Pascal) erupts into a political and personal powder keg. The A24 production also stars Emma Stone, Austin Butler, Luke Grimes, and Deirdre O’Connell.
Aster, known for Hereditary and Midsommar, described the film as a response to the fractured state of American reality. “I wanted to show what it feels like to live in a world where nobody can agree on what is real anymore,” he said. “COVID felt like the moment where that link was finally cut for good.”
While some audience members quietly exited before the end, most stayed, applauding Aster’s portrayal of a nation unravelling. Phoenix, overcome by the crowd’s response, wiped away tears as he stood beside his co-stars.
Pascal, reflecting on his own background as the child of Chilean refugees, said the script hit deeply. “It felt like the first time we had a mole… someone from the inside saying, ‘This is what’s happening.’ That was powerful.”
Eddington opens in theaters July 18.
Published – May 18, 2025 11:14 am IST