Ari Aster has certainly made a name for himself in the modern era of horror, with his first two films, Hereditary and Midsommar, considered by some to be among the best horror movies of all time. For his third project, Aster re-teamed with A24 — which has compiled its own impressively scary collection in the genre — for the “nightmare comedy” Beau Is Afraid. The movie premiered on April 1 to an audience that thought they were seeing a director’s cut of Midsommar, before the joke was revealed and, now, those moviegoers are sharing their first impressions of Aster’s newest film following the surprise screening.
Beau Is Afraid, which was originally titled Disappointment Blvd., stars Joaquin Phoenix as Beau, who embarks on an epic and surreal odyssey home following the sudden death of his mother. The trailer teases a whole new brand of WTF, seemingly opening a violent cartoon multiverse. Let’s see what people are saying after their surprise screening.
Shahbaz of The Movie Podcast says Ari Aster has done it again, with a haunting film that will stick in your brain long after you’ve left the theater. He tweets:
#BeauIsAfraid is a DAZZLINGLY HAUNTING trip that lingers on the mind. A deep dive into mother son relationships that’ll have you laughing and frightened. @AriAster has done it again with his trademark style that’ll have you in awe. Joaquin Phoenix will keep you guessing. @A24 pic.twitter.com/x62mlMbIMVApril 1, 2023
Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting revealed A24’s April Fool’s Day prank, calling Beau Is Afraid “demented” and “imaginative”:
A24's April Fool's Day prank: instead of screening MIDSOMMAR the director's cut, we got BEAU IS AFRAID. What a demented, imaginative, and darkly comical odyssey through guilt and repression. pic.twitter.com/Ob82LCHgbgApril 1, 2023
Clocking in at 2 hours and 59 minutes, audiences seem guaranteed to experience every minute of Beau’s emotional journey, and Alison Foreman of IndieWire says she couldn’t hold back her tears after the impossible-to-unpack final act. She tweets:
#BeauIsAfraid is unspeakably long, and the last act feels borderline impossible to unpack. It is also visually astounding, and the first Ari Aster film to put me in full-on tears. A mommy issues epic to be approached with spectacular caution. I don’t know what to say. pic.twitter.com/OCwKeWAyd0April 1, 2023
Lex Briscuso of SlashFilm similarly requests “5-7 business years” to process the experience. Briscuso says this movie and the director's films in general are proof that filmmakers should make what sings to them, regardless of how weird or niche an idea may seem. The writer continues:
i don’t exactly know what to make of #BEAUISAFRAID but that’s certainly part of the point. it’s an oedipal hero’s journey that turns comedy and horror on their heads, morphing into something uniquely human. the ending is brilliant, i’ll need 5-7 business years to take it all in. pic.twitter.com/84BLVGbQbQApril 1, 2023
Film critic Courtney Howard says the director successfully combines horror and humor, and on top of a career-high performance from Joaquin Phoenix, the supporting cast of Amy Ryan, Nathan Lane, Parker Posey, Zoe Lister-Jones, Patti LuPone and more all give terrific performances:
Ari Aster’s #BeauIsAfraid is a daring mix of humor & horror. Part gorgeous existential nightmare fuel, part pitch-black comedic odyssey, it’s an astounding pillar of artistic genius. If you’re not left hyperventilating, you better check your pulse to make sure you’re not dead. pic.twitter.com/Y1HSKHU4KNApril 1, 2023
A number of those who have seen the movie are commenting on Beau Is Afraid’s rewatchability — which is a big ask for a movie with a 3-hour runtime. Daniel Baptista of The Movie Podcast seems to be one who may take in a repeat showing, as he says the movie leaves you second-guessing every frame:
#BeauIsAfraid is a chaotic and anxiety-inducing acid trip that hasn’t left my mind. @AriAster has created an ODYSSEY OF MADNESS that will have you second guessing every frame. Joaquin Phoenix is as captivating as ever. This is one we’ll be analyzing for a very long time. @A24 pic.twitter.com/48oYFr575xApril 1, 2023
Beau Is Afraid viewers will have the option to see the movie in IMAX, and Anthony of The Movie Podcast recommends upgrading your ticket for this experience. The podcaster was one of numerous audience members to note that the film evoked feelings of guilt and sorrow:
#BeauIsAfraid is a chaotic and anxiety-inducing acid trip that hasn’t left my mind. @AriAster has created an ODYSSEY OF MADNESS that will have you second guessing every frame. Joaquin Phoenix is as captivating as ever. This is one we’ll be analyzing for a very long time. @A24 pic.twitter.com/48oYFr575xApril 1, 2023
Ari Aster’s third directorial project sure sounds like an intense experience, but we’ve come to expect nothing less from the filmmaker. The movie is set for a limited IMAX release on April 14 in Los Angeles and New York before its wide release to theaters on Friday, April 21. In the meantime, take a peek at our schedule of 2023 new movie releases to see what other films are headed to the big screen soon.
