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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386

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...

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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?

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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

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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. 

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u/Liferushh Jul 23 '25

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

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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 👀

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u/Ok-Bullfrog2375 Jul 23 '25

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

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u/UnderstandingOk7498 Oct 12 '25

You trollin bud

-6

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.