Beau Is Afraid

  • Joaquin Phoenix, Parker Posey, Amy Ryan, Richard Kind, Nathan Lane
  • Ari Aster
  • May 19th 2023
Following the sudden death of his mother, a mild-mannered but anxiety-ridden man confronts his darkest fears as he embarks on an epic, Kafkaesque odyssey back home

Official Trailer

Our Review

Beau Is Afraid

Verdict: Joaquin Phoenix gives a committed performance in Ari Aster's surreal epic, which may be too weird for some

  • Joaquin Phoenix, Parker Posey, Amy Ryan, Richard Kind, Nathan Lane
  • May 19th 2023
  • Ari Aster

Joaquin Phoenix plays a paranoid man who goes on an epic anxiety-fuelled journey after his mother dies.

After making a name for himself with the horror movies Hereditary and Midsommar, Ari Aster pivots slightly to horror-comedy with Beau Is Afraid.

In this three-hour epic, Joaquin Phoenix plays a paranoid wreck called Beau Wasserman, who embarks on a surreal, anxiety-fuelled journey following the sudden death of his mother Mona (Patti LuPone).

This film is a demanding watch as it is epic in length, with no legitimate reason for it to be that long, and very weird, possibly even too weird for some.

It is odd in the beginning and gets increasingly weirder as the movie progresses. The final act is frankly insane.

The movie can be roughly divided into five segments, going by the different locations, and the first chapter was very promising, particularly from a technical standpoint.

It is set in Beau’s gross apartment and the dodgy street below, and the way the camera moved around all the crazy characters was impressive.

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