Beau is Afraid (2023)

“Beau is scared” (Beau is Afraid) is a 2023 American film directed by Ari Aster, known for his acclaimed psychological horror works such as Hereditary (2018) and Midsommar (2019). This time, Aster partially abandons the conventional horror genre to immerse himself in an existentialist, absurd, and deeply personal narrative that blends psychological drama with surrealism, dark comedy, and horror.

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

Synopsis

Beau Wassermann (Joaquin Phoenix) is a lonely, insecure, and emotionally fragile man living in a chaotic apartment in an aggressive and violent city. His life is dominated by anxiety, paranoia, and a deeply dysfunctional relationship with his mother, Mona WassermannEverything 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 tries to reach his destination, his fragile psyche unravels, revealing childhood trauma, repressed guilt, and an existential fear of confronting his domineering mother.

The film unfolds in a series of acts that vary in tone, visual style, and pace, from urban absurdist comedy to animated theatrical fantasy, culminating in a deeply disturbing confrontation between Beau and his mother, which questions the notions of guilt, motherhood, identity, and free will.

Main cast

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

Reviews

“Beau is scared" has generated 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 courage Ari Aster for creating such an ambitious and personal work in a commercial cinema context.
• The Joaquin Phoenix's performance has been acclaimed for her total dedication and ability to emotionally sustain such a complex film.
• The way in which the film has been highlighted breaks the conventions of traditional cinema, challenging viewer expectations and pushing the boundaries of the medium.
• Some critics consider it a 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 difficult 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 rating of approximately 67% of critical approval, while on Metacritic it maintains a score mixed (60/100).

Public reception

Public reception has been even more polarized. While a segment of filmgoers has been fascinated by the film's originality, many casual viewers have abandoned it before finishing it or have described it as "incomprehensible."

Some common comments from the public include:

• “I don’t understand what I just saw.”
• “It’s like a nightmare that never ends.”
• “Joaquin Phoenix is incredible, but the movie is exhausting.”
• “It’s a work of art, although I don’t know if I liked it.”

Despite the split, “Beau is Afraid” has become a instant cult film, generating intense debates on social media and film forums about its meaning, symbolism, and hidden themes.

Technical and visual aspects

Direction and script:

Ari Aster writes and directs, demonstrating absolute control of the film's tone and style. His script is a blend of absurdist comedy, emotional trauma, and social critique, all wrapped up in a chaotic and unpredictable structure. The film feels like a journey into the subconscious, with clear influences from Freudian psychoanalysis and absurdist theater.

Photograph:

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 cool gray 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 film's dreamlike atmosphere. The city where Beau lives is almost a distorted caricature of a metropolis, and his mother's house resembles a psychological mausoleum.

Visual effects and animation:

One of the film's most striking moments is a long animated sequence in which Beau imagines (or remembers) an alternate life. This section was created using traditional and stop-motion animation techniques and represents a powerful stylistic break.

Music:

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

Conclusion

“Beau is scared" is one of those movies that They cannot be recommended to everyone, but at the same time they become an unforgettable cinematic experience for those willing to immerse themselves in their universe. It is not a “nice” or “fun” film, but it is deeply provocative, introspective and unique.

With this film, Ari Aster moves away from the more direct horror of his previous films to explore the most intimate and existential fears of human beings: the fear of death, of one's mother, of judgment, of abandonment, and of one's own past. Beau's journey is that of a man 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 "Beau is Afraid" is one of the most daring and controversial films of 2023, and will leave its mark on the history of contemporary arthouse cinema.

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