MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Surrealist Dark Tragicomedy Horror/Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Armen Nahapetian, Patti LuPone, Zoe Lister-Jones, Amy Ryan, Nathan Lane, Kylie Rogers, Denis Ménochet, Bill Hader, Parker Posey, Julia Antonelli, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Richard Kind, Hayley Squires, Julian Richings, Michael Gandolfini, Théodore Pellerin, Mike Taylor/Runtime: 179 minutes
I think it is safe to start this review off dear reader by making a request of the world at large. That being would someone out there kindly check and make sure that film helmer Ari Aster is doing ok? I ask because after putting audiences through the proverbial psychological wringer to the hilt with his previous pair of phenomenally crafted and downright depressing yet horrifying in equal measure movies Hereditary and Midsommar from 2018 and 2019 respectively I think he discovered there was still room left in which to agonize and terrify us. As a result, we are now getting this brilliant helmer’s latest entry in the realm of psychological torture, and slice of cinema I am reviewing for you today incidentally, Beau Is Afraid. A film that distributor A24 was willing to shell out the biggest budget for one of their films to date on, but also give Aster complete and utter freedom from a creative perspective in order to make this movie whatever the heck he wanted. As a result, what we are given here is a unnerving and, at almost three hours long, taxing at times independent film epic that puts us smackdab in the mindset of a pitiful yet congenial dweeby schlub of sorts who is constantly grappling with feelings of terror, worry, regret, and suppression only to find these emotions taking shape in the world around him in a way that feels downright nightmarish in nature. Yet not only does this slice of cinema not provide any tidy answers in regards to what we see unfold before us, but it also quite a bit gives off the vibe of being more in the vein of a confusing attempt for the director to comprehend just how much he can push at movie goers instead of provide them with anything meaningful. Even with that in mind though, there is no denying that there is still a bit of a thrill to be found in seeing a director get the opportunity to just put the twisted side of their brain on full display with no restrictions for close to three hours. To that end, this slice of cinema might not be the kind of horror as Aster’s last two efforts, but that’s mainly because this is the type of horror that isn’t meant to scare you. Rather, this is the type that is meant to challenge you to leave your security blanket at the door whilst also piling on quite a bit of dark and twisted comedy for good measure. Yes, it most definitely is a movie that can be uncomfortable to say nothing of chaotic, but if you can get onboard with it you might find more than a fair bit to enjoy here thanks to compelling work behind the camera and fairly engaging work in front by an immensely talented cast of players led by one of the more unique talents of his (or any for that matter) generation.
The plot is as follows: Beau Is Afraid gets its intriguing narrative underway by introducing us to (who else?) a guy by the name of Beau Wassermann (geez that last name was difficult spell let alone write). Beau, we are quick to learn, is a decent as well as fairly upstanding albeit stricken with an abnormally high level of anxiety middle-aged guy who is in the midst of an appointment with his patient and understanding therapist. Not exactly about the smorgasbord of thoughts he has had as of late about finding and just downing an entire bottle of mouthwash (though in all fairness I can see that being its own separate appointment). Rather, this particular appointment is one that deals with the fact that our intrepid hero is scheduled to go and visit his dear ol’ mom. A woman who, despite being a huge success in the realm of business, did her best to raise Beau on his own following the tragic and untimely demise of his dad before he was brought into the world, but who might have been more than just a tad bit on the overbearing side. Now normally, this would be the part of the story where we soon see that our hero is able to make his way to see his mom, the two fix up their relationship issues, and then celebrate with a loving hug (or something to that effect). Sadly, this most assuredly is not this kind of movie. A fact made evident by the fact that, the morning he is supposed to head out, we quickly see calamity befall our hero. Calamity that takes the form of not only oversleeping due to the shady characters running rampant in his neighborhood, but also his apartment key possibly being swiped and Beau missing his flight thus causing his mom to become (gasp) disappointed in him. Of course, just when you think things can’t possibly get any worse trust me when I say they most certainly do. Thus, as Beau’s quest to get home sees him go down roads he never thought he would traverse, be they of the physical or psychological variety, we also see him crossing paths with an array of intriguing individuals on the midst of this truly draining odyssey who only proceed to make things that much tougher for him. Thus will our hero be able to make it to the journey’s end still in one piece psychologically or will this odyssey be the thing to finally break his already fragile mental state into a million pieces? That I will leave you to discover for yourself dear reader…..
Now right off the bat, it should be said that the work done behind the camera here is truly phenomenal in nearly every way possible. Indeed not only is the utilization of sound in this quite ingenious in magnifying both the main character’s paranoia to say nothing of you, the movie goer’s ever-rising anxiety via the blending of different people talking, but the visual framing on display manages to possess a sneaky perspective that is able to surpass quite a few genuine entries in the comedy genre to boot. To be sure dear reader, there is a fair bit of comedy in this as well, but the majority of it is conjured up from the odd events that occur to our hero as well as the people he meets along his journey. Along with that, we see that even Beau’s physical bond with these components manages to operate like a comedic bit be it through the unnerving lack of response on the part of lead actor Joaquin Phoenix, the manner in which he takes on emotional penalty and not griping about it, or in just the contrasting vibe of Beau’s well-mannered lethargy to the lively and kinetic manner found in the other characters. Suffice it to say that whilst the majority of the time our main character is the joke’s payoff, the film does a great job at ensuring that the buildup always gives off the impression of being a highly intimate admission from the director thus making this one slice of cinema that consistently gives off the vibe of one that was incredibly cathartic for its helmer to make. Indeed, if there is an issue to be found with the work being done behind the camera it would have to be the fact that, clocking in at a minute shy of three hours (including credits), this slice of cinema is one that has a runtime that is extremely lengthy. To be sure, it is never boring and consistently able to keep you continuously pondering just what in the world could occur next. Even with that in mind though, there is no denying that the film all the same does begin to show evidence throughout that perhaps the studio placing some limitations here and there would not have been a bad idea in this case. Suffice it to say that in terms of the work done behind the camera this slice of cinema is very swift in making you aware at the kind of movie you are in for here. Thus, when you pick up on the extremely weird vibe this film is operating with, it really is for the best if you just sit back and wait for the next bit of anxiety-inducing insanity to show up and not only put our poor hero through the wringer, but each and every one of you as well. To be sure, you most certainly will not always completely comprehend what in the world is going on since this slice of cinema operates with a distinctly loony logic, but if you make the choice to accept it wholeheartedly, I promise you will find yourself in awe at what the crew has managed to achieve here.
Now it also doesn’t hurt this slice of cinema in the least that it is the blessed recipient of some truly wonderful performances from a game cast in front of the camera. This starts with Joaquin Phoenix in the titular role and honestly he is fanfreakingtastic though I can’t lie and say I am all that surprised. Indeed, by expertly conveying the entirety of Beau’s psychological woe and anguish whilst being void of any sort of valiant let alone agreeable attributes save for a consistent state of anxiety-stricken confusion (to pair up with a similar and consistent feeling that you undoubtedly will feel whilst watching this) and a deep-seated drive to do everything he can to get to and support his mom for reasons that I shan’t spoil here, Joaquin Phoenix once more showcases why he truly is an acting powerhouse. Indeed only someone with his immense talent could grab us, however reluctantly, by the hand and embark with us on this insanity-fueled quest with the degree of assertiveness that the character himself is seriously lacking. Suffice it to say that what Phoenix brings to the role, both talent and emotion-wise, is no less than absolutely magnificent in every sense of the word even it does get to be a bit much towards the end. Speaking though of Beau’s Mommie Dearest (the character in this not Beau’s version of the 1981 film with Faye Dunaway) it should be said that whilst it might take a while for her to fully make her entrance into this film, there is no denying that when she does Patti LuPone manages to make the most of every minute of screentime she is given to such an extent that by the time the movie is done you might need a second viewing to fully comprehend the movie in its entirety, but you will certainly be able to see why our main character is the way he is and a lot of that can be attributed to the potent and commanding performance given by this immensely talented actress of both the stage as well as the silver screen. Suffice it to say that when you also factor into the equation wonderfully twisted turns here from Nathan Lane and Amy Ryan as two quite grief-stricken well-to-do parents who, despite their external congenial and warmly affable demeanor, harbor a seemingly sinister desire for our main hero that is better left for you to discover on your own, Kylie Rogers as the couple’s daughter who engages in some quite distinctly twisted ways of showing just how venomous her dislike of Beau being under the same roof as her and her family for however brief a time, Denis Ménochet, Stephen McKinley Henderson (who I have enjoyed in other cinematic efforts including 2016’s Fences and 2021’s Dune to name but a couple), Parker Posey (Darla from Dazed and Confused!), and a wonderfully against-type performance from Richard Kind (the voice of Bing Bong from 2015’s Inside Out) respectively what you have here is a collection of performances here that, issues with the film aside, are all top-tier in every single sense of the word.
All in all, and now that my own inner anxiety levels have had time to stabilize dear reader, I can safely say that the slice of cinema that is Beau Is Afraid is one movie that astonishingly never once is able to lose sight of the weird and quite distinct path that it has chosen for all of us as movie goers to traverse upon for close to three hours. To be sure, it does take us (however reluctantly) by the hand on quite extensive side excursions revolving around creative and visionary pipe dreams that deal with the warmth and contentment always just out of our main character’s grasp. Yet it also knows when enough is enough on those and it isn’t long before we as movie goers are violently lurched back like a fish at the end of a hook into the movie’s weird quasi-sorta version of reality. Indeed, through being firmly rooted in a (dependably) well-done lead performance from Joaquin Phoenix as our poor psychologically besieged protagonist who’s just trying to get home to see his mum and backed up admirably by both a wonderful collection of support talent in front of the camera and skilled work behind the camera as well, this film is able to steadily and assuredly elevate itself in both scope as well as allusions that soon double back on each other in a way that feels akin to the movie sneakily dissecting its own manner of narrative regaling. More than anything though, this slice of cinema is one that operates as a concentrated and undisguised cinematic analogy for how making a movie can be a way of laying out your various vulnerabilities for everyone to see for themselves. When looking at it from that point of view, I definitely find that I can recommend this slice of cinema even though it does have more than its fair share of issues about it. With that in mind though dear reader, I know that for many Beau Is Afraid will be one slice of cinema that they will be astonished if they even make it an hour into, to say nothing of the first 30 minutes, before turning it off either due to frustration at the nature of the film overall, their anxiety soaring through the roof, or both. For those of you willing to take a 3-hour tour through, what literally amounts to, a cinematic exercise in surreal organized chaos that would make for a perfect double feature with something akin to Terry Gilliam’s Brazil from 1985 then definitely give this a try and then come on back here. I promise we most assuredly will have quite a fair bit to talk about. Make of that what thou will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give Beau Is Afraid a solid 3.5 out of 5.
