Beau Is Afraid

After being so mesmerised by hereditary and midsommar I was really looking forward to seeing this. The acting was really good. Joaquin Phoenix never disappoints with his acting Patti LuPone was phenomenal in her scenes. Even Amy, Ryan and Nathan lane had some great moments, but the first hour of the movie, I was really confused the second hour of the movie, I thought okay maybe they will start to explain a little of what is going on the third hour when it all came together I was even more confused. I left the cinema in total confusion. I really want to like this movie. I neither hate it nor love it.

Beau is Afraid is going to be hit or miss for a lot of people. It's the type of movie that many will praise and criticize for the exact same reasons. Some will find Ari Aster's visceral, nonstop, in-your-face shock and awe absolutely brilliant. Some will find it grotesque, some hilarious, and some will probably just find it plain monotonous. Regardless of where you land personally, I think fans and haters alike will admit it's easy to understand all of those opinions (and more) on the fever-dream, bad-trip, crisis-coaster that is Beau is Afraid.

There are some ideas in this movie that absolutely hit home. The central character, Beau's, downright Fredian psyche is thought provoking and forceful, if not overstated. The movie looks wonderful throughout and showcases phenomenal cinematography. There is also a fantastic black comedy element that I wasn't expecting - both the wry smile kind and laugh out loud type. Beau is Afraid is packed with amusing subtleties that make me want to rewatch the movie just to see what details I missed. On the surface level, this movie considerably richer than Aster's previous two; it feels as though there is so much more to explore here.

What falls short for me isn't any one glaring detail, it's the sum of all the film's parts. It's a rambling, full speed ahead journey it that lasts an excruciatingly long three hours (two hours and fifty-nine minutes, to be exact). This ride doesn't feel like a edge of your seat thriller, it feels like a highlight reel of nightmares loosely strung together. Frustrating, inarticulate, and logic resistant. At points it feels like Aster is openly testing the audience's limits and patience, fully leaning into the fact that many won't hang on until the end.

Kafka-esque is spot on. Beau is Afraid is largely without a plot; the viewer is forced to most of the legwork if they want to reconcile any sort of direction. This could have worked in a smaller dose, but after the two hour mark you start to wonder why there is still so much movie left. Aster's audience engagement leans heavily on visuals and surprises, and somewhere along the three hour journey you start to wonder if that's quite enough.

You don't know what's coming in Beau is Afraid, but as the formula reveals itself you do know that entire movie is about to be turned on its head. Again. And again. And again. Watching the story bounce from one introspective non-sequitur to the next is a rather unrewarding experience. Even though a resounding lack of closure is surely supposed to be a deliberate point of the film, I had to question if I was enjoying it.

There's a very good movie in buried somewhere in Beau is Afraid, but it's layered under a heavy, heavy dose of self indulgence. It doesn't need to be so long, or so frenzied, or so indirect. Aster's core message simply isn't as profound as he makes it out to be. But it's a new side of Ari that we've never seen before and, for many, that alone will make it worthwhile experience. And the movie isn't without a good deal of genuinely redeeming qualities that fans of the genre (if you can narrow it down to just one) will surely enjoy. It's a thought provoking, visually stimulating trip that you should really just experience for yourself. Though perhaps on-demand with the fast forward button within reach, just in case.

I loved what I have watched from Ari Aster...until this one movie. It is not that I dislike it. In fact, I think it has some brilliant moments that stole a laugh from me. The acting is superb. The cinematography is beautiful to my taste and suits well with the story. But...yesss, but it is way too histrionic at times and too long as a whole. As a plain viewer and nothing else, some scenes are way too long (like the very last one), where the point is made within the first minute or two and there is no need to keep it 20 minutes long. And that gets me out of the story. It might be the pace, the editing or even that I am not getting something I should.

I don't like or dislike the movie. I do know that if it was about one hour shorter, I would have been more compelled. And that is what I believe this art of cinema was invented for.

What do I even say? I don't know. This movie broke my brain. I'm seriously stuck. It's been two hours and my mind is still racing.

Like the headline, much of what I say may sound negative, but I mean it in the best possible way. This movie is indescribably weird, outlandish, absurd and insane. So many times I thought to myself, "What am I watching?"

This is dark comedy at it's finest. It's so messed up. And I was cracking up. Like everything else in this movie, it takes it to the extreme.

The directing, cinematography and music work together to fully hypnotize me. It's so creative and imaginative with so many things I've never seen or could possibly imagine.

Beau Is Afraid feels like four movies combined into one. That seems like a terrible idea. But each one is amazing. And they all work together. I don't understand how he did it. Ari Aster is clearly way smarter than me.

There are long scenes of dialogue but I was fully glued. And there is usually other stuff going on during those scenes, like something funny in the background or interesting details in the set design. It made me even more engaged as I tried to catch everything.

In an age where so many movies fail to stand out in any way, Beau Is Afraid stands out in every way. It's not for the faint of heart. I think some people will hate it. But if you've seen Hereditary or Midsommar, you know what you're in for. It's very different from them. But just like those movies, it'll remind you how much a great movie can affect you.

(3 viewings, early screening IMAX 4/18/2023, IMAX 4/26/2023, 4/28/2025)

I truly don't know where to start with this one. I've become a fan of director Ari Aster. Hereditary and Midsommar are both great movies in my opinion, even though they're not for everyone. He has shown that his style is very much out there and he just does whatever he wants. I admire that in a filmmaker, so I was eagerly awaiting his next outing, Beau is Afraid. Well, it's now playing in theatres and I think it's Aster's best and worst work to date. There's no denying this film is brilliantly well-made, but the actual presentation (story wise) downright baffled me, in good and bad ways. Here's why I really enjoyed watching it, even though it will never be a film I recommend.

Joaquin Phoenix plays Beau, a man with an insane amount of anxiety. On the anniversary of his father's death, he has a plane ticket back home to visit his mother. Things prevent him from making his flight, which in turn leads to him slowly finding his way home anyways. That's the premise in a nutshell, but many other storylines are present as well. From confronting his demons through stage plays, crazy visuals, flashbacks, and some very creative practical effect work, Beau is Afraid is definitely one of the most unique films I've seen in a while. I loved watching this film, but didn't love it as a film overall.

The best way I can explain how much I actually liked it is to say that I think it's a 5-star film on a filmmaking level, but about a 2-star film when it comes down to how effective the story is. I was eating up everything this film was giving me. My jaw was on the floor from how they pulled off certain sequences. I just wish the story became more clear by the end. I was very engaged, but even when the film felt like it was delivering answers, they also felt far too vague. The film plays as if it's giving you all the answers, but I was well aware it wasn't. I never felt frustrated while watching it, because I was loving the journey, but afterwards, I really had to think about whether or not the experience was enough for me. It was, but I have to admit it's not a great movie as a whole.

Beau is Afriad isn't afraid to go all out in every scene. The studio that made this film (A24) also funded it as one of their most expensive films to date. The budget is used to its fullest potential here and the effort leaps off the screen. It's weird, visually stunning, and Phoenix's lead performance is stellar. Other than those aspects though, I was underwhelmed by the story. Still, if you're a film buff who likes to watch all movies, I recommend it, but to any casual viewer, I would say stay far, far away, it's probably not for you. It's a fantastic film to look at and follow along with, but it's simply not great otherwise in my opinion.