Has Ari Aster been nominated for Oscar? All we know about the Hereditary director as Eddington sparks divisive reactions

As per a recent article by Screendaily.com, acclaimed director Ari Aster's latest release, Eddington, premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and received mixed reviews.

While some members of the Cannes Film Festival jury gave the film a mere one or two stars, a couple of jury members said that the film was a good watch and gave it a three-star rating.

Aster is a critically acclaimed filmmaker whose previous films, Midsommar and Hereditary, have secured many nominations but were overlooked at the Oscars.

About the film Eddington and its reviews

The film Eddington stars Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Pedro Pascal, and Austin Butler. The plot of the film revolves around the story of a small town during the COVID-19 pandemic, where the mayor and sheriff clash during tough times.

As per Vulture, the movie is set in the early days of the pandemic and in a small fictional town of New Mexico that goes by the same name. The critic of the publication, Alison Willmore, calls the film "bracingly nasty and centerless."

"Eddington, which is set in the fictional New Mexico town of the title, tells a big picture story about a small place. I didn’t love it — I’m honestly not sure I’d even say I liked it — but it gets at the way our shared reality fractured in ways that may be irreparable, leaving a situation ripe for grifters and opportunists to step in and take over."

Some critics have appreciated Phoenix's acting skills and the downward spiral that the protagonist of the film goes through. Critics also appreciated Aster's last film, Beau is Afraid, and speculated it would be nominated for the Academy Awards.

The plot of Beau is Afraid revolves around the broken relationship between a Jewish son and his mother. The character Beau is played by Joaquin Phoenix, who is filled with anxiety all the time. His mother does something awful to her son, which is beyond speculation.

About Ari Aster

Ari Aster is an American film director born in New York City on August 15, 1986, into a Jewish family. His mother was a poet, and his father was a musician. He also has a young brother.

After living in New York City, Aster's family moved to England for a while, where his father opened a Jazz club. While Aster enjoyed his stay in England, the family came back to New Mexico when he was ten years old.

While Aster was always interested in making movies as a child and was especially drawn towards horror movies such as Don't Look Now and Rosemary's Baby, he began by writing scripts before studying films in graduation and writing reviews for a local arts magazine during his free time.

Trending

Aster is popular for writing the A24 horror films Midsommar and Hereditary. His film Hereditary has won a number of accolades, such as the Saturn Award in the Breakout Director category by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, USA, the Boston Society of Film Critics Award, Bram Stoker Awards, Cannes Film Festival Jury Awards, Gotham Awards, and more.

As per Britannica, Aster is known for combining wrenching psychological drama with dark humor. His films are distinctive and portray stories in their bare bones.

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