Austin Butler’s R-Rated Western Is Now A Chart-Topping Streaming Smash After $13M Box Office Flop
A24’s divisive summer entry Eddington, starring Oscar nominee Austin Butler, among others, is now gaining traction on streaming. Directed by Ari Aster, Eddington is a neo-Western and dark comedy set in a fictional New Mexico town in May 2020, following the standoff between the sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) and the mayor (Pedro Pascal) over COVID-19 protocols and other matters.
Butler portrays Vernon Jefferson Peak, a QAnon-like cult leader who draws in the sheriff’s wife Louise (Emma Stone), a depressed woman looking for connection and meaning in her life. Eddington‘s reviews give it credit for capturing the paranoid feeling of the pandemic era, but critics and audiences are divided on other aspects, resulting in a 68% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Vernon (Austin Butler) giving a speech in Eddington
Image via A24
Eddington was also a major box office flop for A24 this summer, grossing $13.1 million worldwide per The Numbers, on a budget of $25 million. A24, however, still had a strong summer season with the box office hit rom-com Materialists and the quiet but almost universally praised dramedy Sorry, Baby.
But now, FlixPatrol reveals that Eddington is the No. 1 movie on HBO Max today (November 18). It is unsurprising that more people are checking out Eddington now that it is readily available through streaming, as is the pattern for many box office flops, especially those with high-profile talent behind and in front of the camera.
Eddington‘s premise is arguably too wild not to see for oneself how it is executed, and it boasts some very popular stars. Indeed, some of these actors appeared in better-received movies released over the past few months, such as Pedro Pascal in Materialists, Emma Stone in Bugonia, and Austin Butler in Caught Stealing.
Pedro Pascal in Eddington
That being said, Eddington‘s streaming success is currently specific to the United States. Weapons remains the No. 1 movie in the world on HBO Max, with Eddington not even being among the Top 10. Eddington‘s narrative is geared more towards an American audience, delving into an experience of the pandemic they will be most familiar with.
Eddington could become something of a cult classic down the line, but it seems unlikely that it will rebound in time to win some smaller awards this season. It’s a strange movie that hits some strong points about the circumstances of its time and place, allowing it to resonate with a decent number of people, even if it doesn’t take off worldwide.
Release Date
July 18, 2025
Runtime
149 minutes
