In anger, Louise abandons him and joins Vernon’s cult. Joe goes to confront Ted about a fundraiser he’s hosting, only for Ted to belittle him and slap him. After killing the displaced man who had broken into Ted’s bar and hiding his body, Joe sneaks onto Ted’s land and kills him (and his son Eric) with a sniper rifle.

Joe tries to frame the murder as the actions of protestors, leading him to make aggressive public statements about the organization. Joe’s fury with Ted and his actions afterwards are what push Joe to become a genuine villain in Eddington, leading him to even murder a teenager who had nothing more than confront him and call him out.

Joe doesn’t just use Ted’s death as a political move; he also finds himself betraying one of his few genuine, healthy relationships. Despite being a mentor to Michael and close with seemingly deceased father, Joe frames Michael for the murders to escape accountability. It’s a grim turn for Joe that sets up the film’s grisly climax.

Who Is The Masked Gunman In Eddington

Eddington’s Most Dangerous Character Is Also The Most Mysterious

One of the most mysterious elements of Eddington is the masked gunman who arrives in the town. Video reports of masked gunmen causing chaos on behalf of “liberal organizations” like ANTIFA are shown to influence Joe and terrify his deputy, Guy. However, they aren’t shown to be like regular protestors, whose well-meaning public actions don’t really impact the town.

The gunman is instead introduced exercising on a private plane, which implies that he’s a paid provocateur. He’s seemingly sent to sow the seeds of chaos in places like Eddington, explaining his presence in the film’s climax. Although his idenтιтy and employer is never revealed, the masked gunman ends up having a huge impact on the narrative once he arrives.

Luring Joe and Guy into a trap using a captured Michael as bait, the masked man kills Guy in an explosion that leaves an ANTIFA-coded message in flames. He then chases Joe through the town in the middle of the night, only failing to kill Joe because of the intervention of Brian.

The gunman is never fully identified, but the film’s final moments suggest that the culture at large took the gunman at face value. Describing him as an ANTIFA-aligned terrorist, his death propels Joe and Brian into stardom in a way that plays into the true thematic message about Eddington.

Eddington’s Other Big Deaths, Explained

Eddington’s Death-Heavy Third Act Is Brutal

While Ted’s death is the big moment that the film shifts, there are other notable deaths that shape the second half of Eddington. The first is the displaced man who wanders through the town, whom Joe kills in cold blood. This serves as Joe’s big turning moment from a morally conflicted character into a genuinely bad person.

Joe’s attack on Ted also results in Eric’s death, which plays heavily into Brian’s arc. Brian is shown mourning his friend and fears that his attempt to infuriate Michael into attacking Eric is what got him killed. This, in turn, inspires Joe to frame Michael.

Although Michael and Joe are only wounded in the blast set off by the masked gunman, Guy doesn’t escape the blast in one piece. In fact, Joe’s more volatile deputy is removed from the film after heh triggers a mine set by the masked gunman, leaving nothing left of him except some dismembered body parts.

One of Eddington‘s most tragic deaths is Officer ʙuттerfly Jimenez. An officer for the nearby reservation, ʙuттerfly leads his own investigation into Ted’s death and eventually discovers Joe killed him. However, Joe accidentally wounds ʙuттerfly during the firefight with the masked gunman, with the gunman subsequently killing ʙuттerfly with a sH๏τ to the head meant for Joe.

The final big death in Eddington is the masked gunman, who is finally dispatched after seriously wounding Joe with a knife to the head. Before he can realize it, the gunman is confronted by Brian. Brian uses a pistol to shoot the gunman repeatedly, killing him on the spot and saving Joe’s life.

Joe’s Fate In Eddington Is Infuriating And Heartbreaking (And It’s Supposed To Be)

Joe Gets What He Wanted, And He Couldn’t Be More Miserable

Joe doesn’t really get the life he wanted or had before, however. As a result of his injuries, Joe is left in a largely vegetative state. Although he’s elected Mayor, Louise’s mother Dawn (whom Joe had a very tense relationship throughout the film) becomes his caretaker and voice to the public.

Dawn uses this platform to further push her own extreme accusations and political ideologies, all while betraying Joe’s original intentions and going through with Ted’s previous deal with a large company to convert the town into a tech-friendly sector, despite the fears of Joe’s news consтιтuents that this will damage the local environment.

Even beyond Joe’s newfound inability to speak or take care of himself, there are other lingering moments that are devastating to him. Dawn and Joe are heartbroken to see a video of Louise with Vernon, seemingly pregnant with his child. Meanwhile, an embittered Michael is seemingly investigating Joe. Joe’s fate is infuriating and heartbreaking in equal measures.

On some levels, it’s fitting to see Joe get the power and respect he desired, at the cost of the love and life he had before. After his murder of Ted and Eric, it feels like a fitting punishment. It’s also a genuinely tragic turn for a man whom the audience may have initially sympathized with, his desire for control costing him everything.

What’s The Deal With Austin Butler’s Eddington Role?

Austin Butler’s Cult Leader Is One OF The Film’s Most Interesting (But Minor) Characters

Vernon is a minor character in the overarching story of Eddington, but he represents an important part of the film’s themes. A New Age cult leader that Dawn encountered in her internet exploration of various conspiracy theories, Vernon is a charismatic speaker who seems to believe that Sєxual abusers are hiding in plain sight.

Despite Dawn’s sudden horror and shock at the subtle accusations against Louise’s late father, Louise comes to believe Vernon’s arguments about repressed memories. This, coupled with her growing distance from Joe, being exacerbated by his political campaign, leads Louise to abandon her family and join up with Vernon.

On one level, Vernon plays into the overall political themes and satire of Eddington, serving as a clear stand-in of movements like QAnon. His performative faith recalls many spirutal leaders who took center stage during the Pandemic, making bold claims about the state of the world.

Venon is also the film’s clearest showcase of the power of conspiracy theories. Dawn may believe dozens of theories, but she is offended by one that finally seems to touch on her own life — and is heartbroken when her own daughter buys into it. This notably doesn’t stop her from spouting her own theories, highlighting the human flaws at the core of Eddington.

The True Meaning Of Eddington

Eddington Calls Out American Society

Eddington has a harsh view on American society, highlighting the hypocrisies and failings of all sorts of people across the political and social spectrum. There are parodies of performative liberal politics, the confrontational nature of some protestors to take conflict further, and a clear moment where the liberal crowd moves away from the displaced wanderer.

However, Eddington‘s harsher critiques could be seen pointing towards openly conservative people like Joe and Dawn, who use the fears of others and various conspiracy theories to try and push their own ideals and desires. They may win the election and earn favor, but they’ve betrayed their morals and committed heinous acts to get there.

Eddington‘s harshest piece of social criticism is Brian. Introduced as an average teen who tries to use liberal politics to impress Sarah, a girl he likes, Brian becomes increasingly performative and “impᴀssioned” in his growing belief in social justice. However, that only extends until he discovers that Eric has hooked up with Sarah instead.

This is when the selfish teenager instincts kicks back in, with Ben alerting Michael about this relationship (seemingly in hopes that Michael, who had been rumored to have previously dated Sarah, would attack him). After he saves Joe, Brian flips on the spot and embraces a firebrand conservative rhetoric that goes against everything he was swearing by just scenes earlier.

This notably earns Brian respect from the right, a lucrative position as a conservative podcaster, and even gets him a social media-perfect romantic relationship. In Eddington, politics, belief, and integrity can be tossed aside for a quick win or a power grab. It all plays into Eddington‘s harsh critique of modern politics in America.