Cannes just got a whole lot spicier with Ari Aster’s Eddington
, an unhinged political Western featuring Joaquin Phoenix as the grizzled sheriff and Pedro Pascal as the no-nonsense mayor. Emma Stone
and Austin Butler throw even more star power into this bubbling stew of COVID chaos and Trump-era conflagrations. Questions flew fast about the movie’s MAGA-era backdrop and post-pandemic tension
. Amid it all, Pedro Pascal took center stage, sharing thoughts that cut straight to the heart of today’s chaos.
What part of Eddington
’s intense Cannes debut left Pedro Pascal haunted long after the final bow? The Riviera hummed with excitement as the film’s biting political beat ignited passionate answers that left everyone thinking, questioning, feeling and talking.
Pedro Pascal did not dance around the tough questions
Pedro Pascal did not mince words at Cannes when discussing Ari Aster’s Eddington
, a film he described as capturing “all our worst fears”
. Echoing a fractured society torn apart by the aftereffects of COVID and the ethos of Trump-era politics, he characterized the experience of lockdown as a breaking point
that pushed reality into a chaotic, untethered space. Pascal called the film “scary”
and said it was “intimidating”
to be part of a narrative that documents how fear and division have taken hold, shaking the foundations of democracy.
Pascal, who has been everywhere in Hollywood lately—raising questions about a Pedro Pascal fatigue
, went on to open up about how Ari Aster’s film nailed that weird, shaky feeling everyone had during lockdown—like reality was doing cartwheels and nothing quite made sense. He found the movie’s political edge intense and honestly a bit daunting to unpack
. But Pascal kept it real, hoping everyone stays safe and rooting for the folks who end up on the right side of history’s highlight reel.
Read More: Pedro Pascal Reveals ‘The Last of Us’ Details That Changed His Life Forever
As the conversation around Pascal’s powerful words echoed, the mood turned more raw and emotional. It was not in a speech or an interview, but right there in the Palais, under the lights, where feelings were deep and silence spoke louder than words ever could a raw moment unfolded.
When Cannes stood up, Joaquin Phoenix could not hold back
A standing ovation lit up the Palais, but all eyes were on Joaquin Phoenix—teary-eyed, overwhelmed, and clearly moved after Eddington
’s explosive premiere.
The emotional five-minute applause came after Ari Aster’s bold post-COVID Western unspooled its political powder keg. While some in the rafters quietly exited, Phoenix remained transfixed, visibly shaken as the room roared with cheers. His reaction said everything- this film hit deep.
Joaquin Phoenix gets emotional during a big standing ovation for #Eddington at the film’s Cannes world premiere. pic.twitter.com/7e6OeH3zND
— Variety (@Variety) May 16, 2025
Set in a lockdown-era New Mexico town, where tension turns neighbor against neighbor, Eddington
pitches Phoenix into the eye of a political storm as a sheriff battling a power-hungry mayor, played by Pedro Pascal. With Emma Stone and Austin Butler in the chaos too, Aster’s twisted take on Trump-era small-town America mixes paranoia, masks, and MAGA energy
. It is messy, it is timely—and Phoenix clearly felt every frame of it.
What do you think about Pedro Pascal’s take on Eddington
? Let us know in the comments!