In May 2020, amid the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the small town of Eddington, New Mexico, becomes a microcosm of national tensions and divisions. The story opens with Lodge, a homeless man played by Clifton Collins Jr., wandering the outskirts of town in a drunken, incoherent state. As he stumbles past a sign announcing the upcoming development of a data company called SolidGoldMagikarp, the film sets the stage for the technological and societal upheavals to come.

Mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) enforces strict lockdown and mask mandates in response to the pandemic, aligning with state orders. However, Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) resists these measures, citing his asthma as justification for refusing to wear a mask. This defiance sparks immediate conflict, exemplified during a disturbance at a local bar where Joe confronts Lodge. The two men struggle, and Lodge deliberately coughs on Joe before leaving. This incident is captured on video by Eric, Ted's son, and his friend Brian, foreshadowing the viral spread of tensions within the community.

Joe lives with his wife Louise (Emma Stone) and her mother Dawn (Deirdre O'Connell), whose presence adds further strain. Dawn is a conspiracy theorist with QAnon-like beliefs, frequently sowing discord and anxiety within the household. Louise, emotionally fragile and reclusive, is caught between her husband's confrontational stance and her mother's paranoia. The family dynamic is further complicated when Louise and Dawn invite Vernon Jefferson Peak (Austin Butler), a charismatic cult leader, to dinner. During this tense gathering, Vernon shares his traumatic past of trafficking and abuse, prompting Louise to reveal her own history of sexual abuse by her father, a man still revered by Dawn. Joe remains skeptical of Vernon's story, deepening the emotional rifts.

Meanwhile, the murder of George Floyd ignites nationwide protests, reaching Eddington's streets. Eric, Sarah (Amélie Hoeferle), and Brian become involved in Black Lives Matter demonstrations, while Michael (Micheal Ward), Joe's Black deputy, is pressured to join but resists. The protests escalate, with windows broken and tensions rising. Joe, Guy (Luke Grimes), and Michael are dispatched to disperse the crowd, which honors Floyd with an eight-minute and forty-six-second kneel. Brian's jealousy over Eric's relationship with Sarah grows, leading him to send Michael a photo of the two together, fueling interpersonal conflicts.

Joe announces his candidacy for mayor, positioning himself as a defender of freedom against Ted's pandemic restrictions. He enlists deputies Guy and Michael to aid his campaign. Ted, meanwhile, continues his tech-friendly agenda, promoting the SolidGoldMagikarp data center project. The rivalry between Joe and Ted intensifies, culminating in a humiliating confrontation at a campaign fundraiser where Ted slaps Joe twice in front of guests, leaving Joe humiliated and enraged.

In a dark turn, Joe's simmering rage explodes. After a night of drinking, he returns to the bar where Lodge is causing a scene and shoots him dead. Joe disposes of Lodge's body in a nearby lake, attempting to erase evidence. He then escalates his violence by sniping Ted and Eric at their home from a distance, killing them both. To cover his tracks, Joe sprays "No Justice, No Peace" on Ted's wall, staging the murders as attacks by Antifa extremists, a group gaining attention through viral videos.

The investigation draws in Butterfly Jimenez (William Belleau), a tribal officer from the nearby Pueblo tribe, since the shootings occurred on tribal land. Jimenez quickly grows suspicious of Joe, especially after discovering a shell casing Joe failed to retrieve. Joe manipulates the situation by framing Michael for the murders, arresting him on dubious grounds fueled by jealousy over Eric's relationship with Sarah.

As the town mourns Ted and Eric, a new threat emerges. A group of masked extremists arrives in Eddington via private jet, intent on sowing chaos. They break Michael out of jail and set fires on the town's outskirts. Joe and Guy pursue Michael into the desert, where Michael warns them to stay back. An explosion kills Guy and severely injures Michael. The extremists then launch a violent assault on Eddington's streets.

Joe arms himself at a local gun store and engages in a chaotic shootout, firing wildly and inadvertently shooting Butterfly Jimenez in the leg. The violence culminates in Joe being stabbed in the head by one of the extremists, causing severe brain damage. Brian, who has been filming the events, kills the attacker with his phone's camera rolling, turning himself into a right-wing hero.

One year later, Brian has risen to prominence as a conservative influencer, capitalizing on his recorded heroism. Joe, now paralyzed and in a vegetative state, is elected mayor despite his incapacitation. Dawn acts as his spokesperson and caretaker, seemingly collaborating with SolidGoldMagikarp, whose data center has opened. Louise, having left town with Vernon, is now pregnant with his child, a fact revealed during a news segment Joe and Dawn watch together. Michael, having survived his injuries, serves as undersheriff and practices target shooting on the town's outskirts, symbolizing ongoing tensions and unresolved conflicts.

Throughout the film, the narrative weaves a complex tapestry of personal trauma, political rivalry, societal division, and the corrosive impact of conspiracy theories. The characters' intertwined fates unfold against the backdrop of a nation grappling with a pandemic, racial injustice protests, and the rise of extremist violence, culminating in a bleak portrait of a community unraveling from within.

Short Narrative of the Ending

The movie "Eddington" concludes with Joe Cross, the sheriff, becoming the mayor of the town after a series of violent events. However, he is left paralyzed due to an attack by extremists. His wife's mother, Dawn, acts as his caretaker and uses her position for personal gain. Meanwhile, Michael, who was wrongly accused and jailed, survives and becomes the undersheriff. The film ends with a sense of unresolved tension and societal fragmentation.

Expanded Narrative of the Ending

The ending of "Eddington" unfolds in a dramatic and chaotic sequence of events. After Joe Cross kills Ted Garcia and his son, he stages the scene to look like an Antifa attack, attempting to deflect suspicion. However, Officer Butterfly Jimenez from the Pueblo tribe becomes involved in the investigation, suspecting Joe's involvement due to the crime occurring on Pueblo land.

As tensions escalate, a group of heavily armed extremists arrives in Eddington, kidnapping Michael from jail and setting fires throughout the town. Joe and another officer, Guy, find Michael in the desert, but an explosive detonates, killing Guy and severely wounding Michael.

Joe returns to Eddington, where he is targeted by the extremists. In a desperate bid for survival, he breaks into a gun store to arm himself. During a chaotic shootout, Joe accidentally shoots Butterfly's leg off. Eventually, he is cornered by the extremists and stabbed in the head, suffering significant brain damage.

In a surprising turn of events, Brian saves Joe by killing his attacker while filming the rescue on his phone. This act propels Brian to become a prominent conservative influencer.

One year later, Joe is now the mayor of Eddington but is paralyzed due to his injuries. Dawn, his wife's mother, serves as his caretaker and uses her position to speak on his behalf, often for her own benefit. Meanwhile, Michael has survived and become the undersheriff, practicing target shooting on the outskirts of town. The film concludes with Joe and Dawn watching news coverage of Vernon and a pregnant Louise at a rally, highlighting the ongoing social and political turmoil in Eddington.

The fate of the main characters is as follows: - Joe Cross: Becomes the mayor of Eddington but is paralyzed. - Dawn: Acts as Joe's caretaker and uses her position for personal gain. - Michael: Survives and becomes the undersheriff. - Brian: Becomes a prominent conservative influencer after saving Joe. - Ted Garcia and his son: Killed by Joe. - Guy: Killed in the desert explosion. - Butterfly Jimenez: Loses a leg during the shootout.

Yes, several characters die in the 2025 film Eddington, and their deaths are central to the plot's escalation of violence and political turmoil:

• A vagrant: Joe shoots a vagrant dead and disposes of the body in a nearby river. This killing occurs the same night Joe is enraged after being slapped by Ted, marking the start of his violent spree.

• Ted and Eric: Joe kills Ted and Eric in their home with a sniper rifle. He then stages the scene to implicate Antifa extremists by spray-painting "No Justice, No Peace" on the wall, attempting to divert suspicion from himself.

• Guy: During an extremist attack on the town, Joe and Guy go to rescue Michael, who has been kidnapped. Guy ignores Michael's warning not to approach and steps on a landmine, which kills him instantly.

• A masked extremist gunman: After Joe is seriously wounded--stabbed in the head by an extremist--Brian intervenes and shoots the attacker dead, saving Joe's life.

• Officer Butterfly Jimenez: Joe accidentally shoots Butterfly in the leg during a chaotic firefight with armed extremists. Butterfly later receives the "finishing blow" from the extremists, implying he dies from his injuries.

The circumstances of these deaths are tied to escalating political violence in the small town of Eddington during a contested mayoral election amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Joe's initial killing spree is motivated by anger and a desire to frame political opponents and radicals. The extremist attack on the town leads to further casualties, including Guy and Butterfly. Joe himself is left paralyzed and incapacitated after the violent confrontations.

One year after these events, Joe survives but is paralyzed and serves as mayor, with Dawn as his caretaker. Michael also survives and becomes undersheriff.

The movie Eddington (2025) does not have a post-credits scene. There are no mid-credits, post-credits, or end-credits scenes or stingers; the film concludes fully with its final scene, and audiences can leave once the credits start rolling.

Joe and Ted have a heated public altercation in which Ted brutally slaps Joe. Following this, Joe kills both Ted and their son from a distance using a sniper rifle, then sprays 'No Justice, No Peace' on Ted's wall to frame Antifa for the murders.

Michael, who is initially involved in the contested mayoral election and hopes to succeed Joe as sheriff, is kidnapped and severely wounded by extremists. He survives and later becomes undersheriff, practicing target shooting on the outskirts of town one year after the main events.

Extremists attack Eddington, kidnapping Michael and setting fires. During a desert confrontation, an explosive kills Guy and wounds Michael. Joe is targeted by armed men, leading to a shootout where he accidentally shoots Butterfly's leg off and is eventually stabbed but saved by Brian.

After Joe is paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair due to the extremist attack, Dawn takes care of him and uses her influence to speak publicly on his behalf, spreading conspiracy theories. She leverages her control over Joe to shape his public statements.

Brian, who saves Joe from being stabbed, becomes a prominent conservative influencer one year later. He capitalizes on his rescue of Joe, who is now the paralyzed mayor of Eddington.

The movie Eddington (2025) is not family friendly and is rated R due to its mature content. It contains graphic violence, including extremely gory scenes with shootings and injuries, strong language, graphic nudity (including non-sexual male nudity), and disturbing themes such as verbal references to sexual violence and intense social conflict. These elements make it inappropriate for children and sensitive viewers, especially those under 17, and even mature teens may find it too disturbing.

Potentially objectionable or upsetting aspects include:

• Graphic and realistic violence with bloody injuries and shootings.
• Strong, crude, and offensive language.
• Graphic nudity, though not sexual acts.
• Disturbing social and political themes reflecting harsh realities and societal division.
• Emotional heaviness and intense conflict that may be unsettling.

Parents are strongly advised to preview the film before allowing teens to watch and to discuss its harsh themes if older teens view it. The film's tone is grim, satirical, and disorienting, with a brutal and chaotic narrative style.

In the 2025 film Eddington, the dog does not die. The detailed plot summaries and reviews of the film make no mention of any dog dying or being harmed, focusing instead on the intense political and social turmoil, violent confrontations, and character arcs involving Joe, Ted, Michael, and others during the COVID-19 pandemic and a terrorist attack in the town of Eddington. There is no indication or scene described involving the death of a dog in the film.

The search results that discuss dogs dying pertain to other movies or general discussions unrelated to Eddington. Therefore, based on the available information, no dog dies in Eddington.