The reactions below contain NO SPOILERS! So you’re safe to keep reading if you haven’t seen Beau Is Afraid yet.
When the reviews dropped for Beau Is Afraid — the latest offering from director Ari Aster — many critics were impressed with the cinematic feat, including our own Eric Eisenberg, who rated the hilarious and insane film 4.5 out of 5 stars. Others, however, seemed unsure about what they’d experienced, throwing out words like “chaos,” “anxiety” and “panic attack." The movie received a wider release in theaters Friday, pulling in $2.7 million at the box office this weekend (amid another terrific showing for The Super Mario Bros. Movie), and audiences are taking to social media with their own opinions of the A24 nightmare comedy.
It was obvious from the jump that this was going to be a divisive movie, to be honest. It sees Joaquin Phoenix taking on another extreme role in the titular character, who embarks on a surreal odyssey to get to his mother’s house after her sudden death. By the time Beau is Afraid's ending rolled around three hours later, audience members seemed stunned — though they don’t agree (or don’t know!) whether that’s a good or a bad thing. As one TikToker put it:
@itsheidiwong ♬ original sound - AntiNightcore
While some viewers were quick to call Ari Aster's latest one of their “faves of the year so far,” the general consensus of those who liked the movie (“enjoyed” may be overstating it), seemed perplexed and affected, deducing that that must mean it was good, right? According to this Twitter user:
Just got out of Beau Is Afraid and honestly, I can’t tell if I loved it or hated it. If it’s genius or one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen. That I’m conflicted means it’s probably the former, but I’m going to have to think on that one.
Many of the positive reactions almost seemed to be reluctant, like fans were talking themselves into liking the film, including this viewer, who wrote:
Beau Is Afraid is the weirdest movie of the year and by the end i was utterly confused and had no clue what to make of what i just saw but I didn’t regret seeing it and i would watch it again.
While there were plenty of people who said they wanted to see the movie again — and some already planning their third viewing — others lamented never being able to get their three hours back. This TikTok user seemed nearly speechless, until finally finding the word to express her feelings about the flick:
@hannahandjuliaandmovies ♬ original sound - ✨ H & J 🎬
Another patron tagged Cinemark in their tweet, asking about the possibility of getting a refund:
Cinemark, Are yall giving refunds for Beau Is Afraid? Idk if I should sue for wasting my time, money, and energy. I wish I would have stayed at work....
That is pretty bad, if you’d have rather been at work than the movies. Another social media user, meanwhile, refused to accept even the possibility that one could have liked it, tweeting:
Anyone who says they like Beau Is Afraid are lying. You under not cirqumstances are able to like this. You can be impressed or you can appreciate it, at least this is the best i can do.
Whether it is an impossible movie to like, or — as this Twitter fan said — there’s “magic in discomfort,” the pain elicited by Ari Aster through Joaquin Phoenix seems to be pretty universally agreed upon. Maybe it comes down to expectation and one’s definition of art. The fan continued:
I have an unbearable imagination. My mind is expert at taking ordinary, but impossible hypotheticals and turning them into elaborate, but realistic horrors, none of which have occurred (so far). THAT is what it’s like to watch Beau Is Afraid. 10/10. Masterpiece.
Audiences reactions to Beau Is Afraid are certainly all over the board, and it’s pretty amusing to see how polarizing the opinions are. In short, some loved the experience, others despised it, and — probably more than anything else — others aren't quite sure what to think. Check your local theaters to see if the Joaquin Phoenix flick is playing near you, and take a peek at our schedule of 2023 new movie releases to see what else is set to hit the big screen soon.
