HINDSIGHT IS 2020.

As tension rises over mask mandates in 2020, a small-town New Mexico sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) challenges the mayor (Pedro Pascal).

So much is promising right from the start, with Ari Aster aiming to show the frustrating and ridiculous distractions that keep us from having better lives, targeting everything from hyper-charged protesters, to destructive conspiracy theories, to white men feeling lost.

There’s thrills, a sense of humor and a solid effort by Phoenix, but it falls apart near the end, having no clue what it wants to say.

2025-U.S. 149 min. Color. Written and directed by Ari Aster. Cinematography: Darius Khondji. Cast: Joaquin Phoenix (Joe Cross), Pedro Pascal (Ted Garcia), Emma Stone (Louise Cross), Austin Butler, Luke Grimes, Deirdre O’Connell. 

Trivia: Co-produced by Aster.