The Movies That Made Me EDDINGTON writer/director Ari Aster
Oct 7, 2025
Ari Aster, the provocative writer-director known for films like Midsommar and Beau Is Afraid, dives into the movies that shaped his creative vision. He reflects on the surprising reception of Midsommar and shares childhood obsessions with films like Batman Returns and Gremlins 2. Aster discusses his passion for ambiguous storytelling, the influence of dark comedies like Happiness, and his teenage fixation on the confrontational works of Haneke and von Trier. His admiration for the mockumentary genre and the power of graphic novels further illuminates his unique cinematic sensibility.
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Art Should Ask Questions, Not Prescribe
- Ari rejects prescriptive art and says he aims to ask questions rather than tell audiences how to think.
- He admits desperation for solutions but affirms his role is to challenge and open inquiry, not prescribe answers.
Childhood Epiphany With Batman Returns
- Ari Aster recalls seeing Batman Returns at age six after pleading to see Three Ninjas and being taken instead by his parents.
- The film electrified him with macabre production design and a German-expressionist world that felt like an epiphany.
Worldbuilding Through Production Design
- Ari values films that build complete worlds through production design, citing Batman Returns, Gremlins 2, and Babe: Pig in the City as world-building inspirations.
- He credits those dense, design-forward films for sparking his hunger to inhabit strange cinematic universes.
