Beau is afraid (Beau is Afraid, 2023)

.Beau is afraidau (Beau is Afraid) is a 2023 American film directed by Ari Aster, known for his acclaimed works of psychological horror such as Hereditary (2018) and Midsommar (2019). On this occasion, Aster partly abandons the conventional horror genre to immerse himself in an existentialist, absurd and deeply personal narrative that mixes psychological drama with surrealism, black comedy and horror.

Starring Joaquin Phoenix, the film offers a disturbing, disturbing and emotionally dense cinematic experience. Ari Aster has described this work as a “comedy nightmaresc”, and it is undoubtedly one of the most divisive and disconcerting films of recent years.

Synopsis

Beau Wassermann (Joaquin Phoenix) is a lonely, insecure and emotionally fragile man who lives in a chaotic apartment within an aggressive and violent city. His life is dominated by anxiety, paranoia and a deeply dysfunctional relationship with his mother Mona Wassermann. Everything changes when he receives the news that his mother has died, which triggers an absurd and surreal odyssey to his childhood home to attend the funeral.

What begins as a seemingly simple journey transforms into a fragmented nightmare filled with unlikely obstacles, eccentric characters, and increasingly disconcerting situations. As Beau attempts to reach his destination, his fragile psyche breaks down, revealing childhood traumas, repressed guilt, and an existential fear of facing his mother's dominant figure.

The film takes place in a series of acts that vary in tone, visual style and rhythm, from an urban absurd comedy to an animated theatrical fantasy, culminating in a deeply disturbing confrontation between Beau and his mother, in which the notion of guilt, motherhood, identity and free will.

Main cast

• Joaquin Phoenix like Beau Wassermann
  The absolute protagonist of the story, Phoenix delivers an intense and vulnerable performance, playing a man paralyzed by fear and guilt.
• Patti LuPone like Mona Wassermann (adult)
  She plays Beau's dominant and manipulative mother. His performance is imposing and key in the emotional climax of the film.
• Armen Nahapetian like Young Beau
  He plays the protagonist in his teenage version, in flashbacks that reveal his relationship with his mother and his first traumas.
• Nathan Lane and Amy Ryan like Roger and Grace
  A couple who welcomes Beau into their home after an accident, in a sequence that mixes the absurd with the disturbing.
• Parker Posey like Elaine Bray
  An old youthful love of Beau who appears later in the film.
• Stephen McKinley Henderson like beau's therapist
  His presence opens the film, setting the psychological and neurotic tone of the story.

Criticisms

.Beau is afraidren has generated an enormous division among specialized critics. While some praise it for its narrative audacity and visual originality, others consider it excessive, confusing and self-centered.

Positive reviews:

• Many critics have praised the bravery from Ari Aster for creating such an ambitious and personal work in a commercial film context.
• The performance by Joaquin Phoenix she has been acclaimed for her total dedication and ability to emotionally sustain such a complex film.
• The way the film break the conventions of traditional cinema, challenging the viewer's expectations and pushing the limits of the medium.
• Some critics consider it one author's masterpiece, comparable to the films of David Lynch, Charlie Kaufman or even Federico Fellini.

Negative reviews:

• Numerous critics and viewers have found it unnecessarily long (almost three hours long) and hard to follow.
• Some see it as a work pretentious, which is lost in its own symbolism and lack of clear narrative structure.
• The absurd and surreal nature of many sequences has been considered by some to be free or self-referential.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rough rating of 67% critical approval, while on Metacritic it maintains a score mixed (60/100).

Public reception

Public reception has been even more polarized. While a sector of film buffs has been fascinated by the originality of the film, many casual viewers have abandoned it before finishing it or described it as “incomprehensible”.

Some common public comments include:

• ÎI don't understand what I just saw. anus
• ÎIt's like a nightmare that never ends. armband
• 'Joaquin Phoenix is amazing, but the movie is exhausting. ar
• ÎIt's a work of art, although I don't know if I liked it. ar

Despite the division, ribeBeau is afraid that it has become one instant cult movie, generating intense debates on social networks and film forums about its meaning, symbolism and hidden themes.

Technical and visual aspects

Direction and script:

Ari Aster writes and directs, showing absolute control of the tone and style of the film. His script is a mix of absurd comedy, emotional trauma and social criticism, all wrapped in a chaotic and unpredictable structure. The film feels like a journey into the subconscious, with clear influences from Freudian psychoanalysis and the theater of the absurd.

Photography:

The cinematography of Pawel Pogorzelski (aster's regular collaborator) is impeccable. Each scene is carefully composed, with lighting that varies radically depending on the act: from the gray and cold tones of Beau's apartment to the golden warmth of the animated segment in the forest.

Production design:

The visual design is extraordinary, with surreal settings that reinforce the dreamlike atmosphere of the film. The city where Beau lives is almost a distorted caricature of a metropolis, and his mother's house looks like a psychological mausoleum.

Visual effects and animation:

One of the most shocking moments of the film is a long animated sequence in which Beau imagines (or remembers) an alternative life. This part was made with traditional animation and stop-motion techniques, and represents a very powerful stylistic break.

Music:

The soundtrack composed by Bobby Krlic (also known as The Haxan Cloak) perfectly complements the haunting atmosphere, alternating between the ethereal and the oppressive.

Conclusion

.Beau is afraidüm is one of those movies that they cannot be recommended to everyone, but at the same time they become an unforgettable cinematographic experience for those who are willing to immerse themselves in their universe. It is not a “acgradable” or “fivertid” film, but it is deeply provocative, introspective and unique.

Ari Aster, with this work, moves away from the most direct terror of his previous films to explore the most intimate and existential fears of human beings: the fear of death, of the mother, of judgment, of abandonment and of one's own past. Beau's journey is that of a man who is forced to confront himself, and he does so in the most chaotic and painful way possible.

Is it a masterpiece? For some, yes. Is it torture? For others, too.

What is clear is that ribeBeau is afraid that it is one of the most daring and discussed films of 2023, and will leave its mark on the history of contemporary auteur cinema.

SEE MORE