Director and writer Ari Aster has built up quite a resume in the last five years. With “Hereditary” and “Midsommar” often agreed upon as two of the best horror films in recent memory, fans have been eagerly anticipating Aster’s next move. However, his latest artistic endeavor, “Beau Is Afraid,” starring legendary actor Joaquin Phoenix, has been quite divisive.
For moviegoers expecting another “Hereditary” or “Midsommar,” look elsewhere. In the traditional sense, “Beau Is Afraid” may not even fit into the classification of a horror film. Instead, it’s a three-hour psychological, surrealist nightmare. Aster constantly blurs the line between reality and dream to the point where I left with little knowledge of what events in the film actually happened.
“Beau Is Afraid” follows the story of Beau, played by the legendary Phoenix, and his journey traveling to his mother’s funeral. Unfortunately, it just so happens that everything that could possibly go wrong for Beau does just that. Along the way, he unpacks an immense amount of childhood trauma, anxiety, paranoia and guilt. However, Aster opts for a “show, don’t tell” approach that pays off greatly with psychedelic dream sequences and amazingly grotesque imagery.
Under numerous layers of surrealism, this film, at its very core, is a family drama with Beau attempting to reconcile his own feelings towards his mother. Family issues are, by no means, uncharted territory for Aster; anyone who has seen “Hereditary” can agree. However, this feels like Aster’s most personal work yet. The exploration into Beau’s unstable mind is so deep and vivid that it comes off as stemming from a very personal place.
“Beau Is Afraid” is also Aster’s most ambitious film. Stunning amounts of detail are put into each location, and between the various places Beau ends up and those that only exist in his head, there are a lot of locations. It’s a film that is very difficult to unpack, but at the same time is wildly entertaining and dynamic through the entire course of its three-hour runtime.
As expected at this point, Phoenix’s performance as Beau is stellar. Few actors could depict the complexities in the character nearly as well as he did. Sure, there are other characters in the film, but they are never the focus. This is undoubtedly Phoenix’s movie.
This movie, in short, is a lot. Time skips (that are not always obvious) between Beau’s childhood and the present occur without warning. The first act of the film is incredibly stressful, and it never quite allows viewers a moment to breathe. The second act is dynamic with numerous locations, drug-induced dream sequences and characters with motives that are impossible to understand. The final act contains multiple plot twists that leave viewers questioning everything in the film up to that point. It also contains the funniest sex scene I’ve ever seen.
“Beau Is Afraid” is Aster’s best film. It is a completely uncompromising artistic endeavor. I left the theater tired, confused, completely exhausted and eager to watch this again. This will be very difficult to beat for best movie of the year.
Rating: 9/10
