In Ari Aster’s dark comedy, Joaquin Phoenix plays the sheriff of a New Mexico town riven by political clashes and pandemic anxieties.

Superman” is still atop the hierarchy of power at the box office in its second weekend, flying above new wide releases “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” “Smurfs” and “Eddington.” The DC Studios universe-rebooter earned about $16.

Leading the film is Joaquin Phoenix who plays Joe Cross in Eddington. He’s the sheriff of a dying town and the kind of man who’d rather watch everything burn than admit he’s lost control. With pandemic paranoia, far-right delusions, and a god complex brewing under his dusty hat, Joe is both terrifying and tragic.

What — beyond Aster’s evident desire to tweak both sides of the political spectrum — might be going on here? Look deeper and you’ll find the answer was hiding in plain sight. If Aster has a thesis in Eddington,

Katy Perry’s ‘Firework’ is perfect, but it took Aster trying hundreds of songs after not getting the rights to a Jay-Z track.

The first and maybe only true jump scare in Ari Aster’s “Eddington” comes right at the start. A barefoot old man trudges down the center of a road running through an empty Western town. He’s ranting and incoherently raving as he climbs a craggy hill silhouetted against a twilight sky. He gazes, or maybe glares, out at the town below.

A helpful guide on what new releases to watch, including movies in theaters, on streaming or available to rent or buy on digital and on-demand.

Travis Hopsin of Punch Drunk Critics says the fear surrounding the pandemic, Black Lives Matter and the George Floyd protests that’s depicted in Eddington is “designed to enrage us,” but the most terrifying part of Ari Aster’s film is how accurate it is. The critic says:

The 'Yellowstone' star discusses his love for the filmmaker and working with Joaquin Phoenix in A24's darkly satirical neo-Western.

No one in the cast seems keen to talk about Ari Aster’s latest film.