Joaquin Phoenix Tears Up During Massive 5-Minute Cannes Standing Ovation for MAGA Thriller ‘Eddington’

“Eddington,” Ari Aster‘s COVID-era contemporary Western starring Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Austin Butler and Pedro Pascal, earned a 5-minute standing ovation at its Cannes Film Festival premiere on Friday.

The film’s distinct comment on American political and societal discourse did not overwhelm some of the international set. High in the rafters of the Palais, at least 20 people trickled out over the course of the screening. When the credits seemed imminent, many up top scattered.

Aster was typically self-deprecating after the premiere, saying, “I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what you think. Sorry, I guess? Thank you, I guess?” He followed that by saying, “I feel very privileged to be here. This is a dream come true. Thank you so much for having me.”

According to its official synopsis, the A24 film is set in May 2020 and follows “a standoff between a small-town sheriff (Phoenix) and mayor (Pascal)” that “sparks a powder keg as neighbor is pitted against neighbor in Eddington, New Mexico.” Luke Grimes, Deirdre O’Connell, Micheal Ward and Clifton Collins Jr. round out the cast.

“Eddington” is Aster’s follow-up to 2023’s “Beau Is Afraid,” which also starred Phoenix as a paranoid man who embarks on a surreal journey to get to his mother’s funeral, facing his greatest fears along the way. Despite receiving generally positive reviews from critics, “Beau Is Afraid” was considered a box office failure, making only $11 million. After premiering at Cannes, “Eddington” is set for a theatrical release on July 18.

The Cannes premiere of “Eddington” marks Aster’s first time attending the festival. His debut feature, horror favorite “Hereditary,” bowed at Sundance Film Festival in 2018. “Midsommar,” his well-reviewed sophomore film starring Florence Pugh, and “Beau Is Afraid” both skipped the festival circuit and went straight into theaters. Aster’s cast is more familiar with the festival, with Phoenix having won its best actor award in 2017 for Lynne Ramsay’s “You Were Never Really Here” and stone having attended last year with Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness.”

Cannes Film Festival runs May 13 to 24.