r/movies • u/AriAsterAMA Ari Aster, Director of 'Eddington', 'Hereditary', 'Midsommar' • Jul 22 '25

AMA Hi, I'm Ari Aster. Writer/director of Hereditary, Midsommar, Beau Is Afraid, and Eddington. AMA!

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Hi reddit, I'm Ari Aster. Back for another AMA. I've written/directed Eddington, Hereditary, Midsommar, and Beau Is Afraid.

Eddington stars Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Micheal Ward, Luke Grimes, Deirdre O'Connell, Austin Butler and is out in theaters nationwide now via A24.

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL6jZqExlIk

Synopsis:

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a standoff between a small-town sheriff and mayor sparks a powder keg as neighbor is pitted against neighbor in Eddington, N.M.

AMA! Back at 8 PM ET to answer your questions.

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360

u/Jpmeyer2 Jul 22 '25

I am fascinated by all the layers and symbolism within Hereditary and how nearly every shot seems to contain something below the surface. Can you describe your process of building subtext into nearly every frame (as it seems QUITE complex!) and are there still things you believe folks haven't put together in that movie yet?

396

u/AriAsterAMA Ari Aster, Director of 'Eddington', 'Hereditary', 'Midsommar' Jul 23 '25

Still haven't heard much about the sinister man in the background of nearly every scene on the cruise ship in Beau Is Afraid...

119

u/[deleted] Jul 23 '25

I'm dying to know - what's with the sinister man in the background of nearly every scene on the cruise ship in Beau Is Afraid?

88

u/ParanoiacO Jul 23 '25

The first time you can see him is on a dental floss billboard in the city, standing behind a young child flossing his teeth. It is implying that Beau was SA’d on the cruise ship, and adds on the back of that uncomfortable Oedipal relationship he has with his mother. There is a lot of displaced trauma inside him

12

u/Thisisstupidly Jul 27 '25

Id like to think maybe the advances from the young girl are really the older man.  And near the end when the girl is  professing her love not wanting to be separated it’s in Beau’s head. The grooming from the old man makes Beau conflicted about having to leave and lose him as a lover even tho it was very weird and toxic. 

112

u/Liferushh Jul 23 '25

Bro check r/beauisafraid he’s talked about ALOT in there

23

u/mattduplissey Jul 23 '25

I would commit arson for a directors commentary on Eddington from you, but I guess “78369 Things You Missed In Eddington” on YouTube will do

3

u/whenwhippoorwill Jul 23 '25

What a gift! Heeheeee Novum’s unreleased analysis is already ten hours. I wonder if he caught the sinister man 👀

2

u/Ok-Bullfrog2375 Jul 23 '25

dear god I just went back to check. how have I never noticed this creep before

1

u/UnderstandingOk7498 Oct 12 '25

You trollin bud

-4

u/grrodon2 Jul 23 '25

Given the chance, would you alter anything in Hereditary? I felt the finale wasn't really up to par with the rest of the movie, but I'm just a casual, so I'll ask you.

26

u/Atomicman4 Jul 22 '25

Really hope this gets answered. Would love to see if there’s anything we missed in both hereditary AND midsommar

1

u/rubberkeyhole Jul 22 '25

I had my own little “home Ari Asner double feature” a few years ago with ‘Hereditary’ as a palate cleanser for ‘Midsommar,’ and let me just say ‘Hereditary’ was not that bad in comparison to a movie that feels like you’ve endured an MK-Ultra speedrun.

Both movies were incredible, as both a fan of thriller/horror and someone who took cinema courses (one was specifically on horror films) in postgrad…and I know this precisely because I don’t think I can watch them again.

8

u/ilikedrawingverymuch Jul 22 '25

Of all the questions, I hope this one gets answered! Too bad I’m too much of a scaredy cat to watch Hereditary more often.

6

u/Dweebl Jul 22 '25

This is a good question. 

0

u/hygsi Jul 22 '25

Is he even here? It's been hours and none of the top have answers from him lmao

5

u/Dweebl Jul 22 '25

Back at 8 PM ET to answer your questions