Beau Is Afraid Movie Review (2023)

Peculiar and haunting, Beau Is Afraid, about a paranoid man trying to get home to his mother, has some magical visuals and taps into your own discomfort.

I think it’s fair to say that Ari Aster has a directorial style. This is the second of his films that I have seen (the other one being Eddington), and, among other things, he’s really good at tapping into what makes people feel uneasy. I am not exactly sure how he does it (clearly some combination of visuals, sound, and acting that only he can create), but it is a talent, because I have not had that continued experience with a director before.

Beau Is Afraid is about Beau, a quiet man who lives by himself in a crime-ridden neighborhood, sees a therapist regularly, has no friends, and struggles with mental health issues. Raised only by his mother, he is on his way home to celebrate the anniversary of his father’s death, when his suitcase and keys are stolen and he misses his flight. Knowing that he has now disappointed his her deeply, he continues to call his mom until he discovers that she has suddenly died in a freak accident. Now he has to make it home for her funeral.

This is a bizarre, but super intriguing film. You are never quite sure if what is happening is real or part of the way Beau sees the world, with his extreme anxiety and paranoia. The visuals are often striking and beautiful, whether it is blue paint being slathered, vividly colored memories, or animated travel pieces, and you always look forward to seeing what comes next.

One of the items that you find out about Beau fairly early is that, in addition to everything else, he struggles with an intense fear of the health defect that killed his father before he was born and will likely kill him. Because of it, and his mother’s clear explanation of the fatal consequences, he avoids relationships with people, except his mother and therapist.

Beau Is Afraid touches heavily on the themes of parental guilt and generational trauma, with a good old dose of the intrusive manipulative mother. When you imagine the stereotypical Greek, Jewish, and Italian matriarch, shake them all up and spit out a combination, you have Beau’s mom. Most of us can relate to the familial discomfort in some way or another, so don’t be shocked if you have a visceral reaction to their relationship, like I did. There are a lot of films that touch on the unhealthy parent/child dynamic, but none quite like this.

Joaquin Phoenix plays the heavily burdened Beau, with small roles played by Nathan Lane, Parker Posey, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Amy Ryan. The part of Beau’s mother is played by a famous Broadway vet, who I won’t name on purpose, but if you don’t recognize her, her reputation makes her the perfect casting.

Beau Is Afraid isn’t particularly likeable, but it is a bizarrely interesting time. It did start to feel a little long, and it is, but because of all of the thematic eccentricities and visuals, I still recommend it. It is different from anything else you’ve seen.

Runtime: 178 minutes

Motion Picture Rating: R

Languages Spoken In The Film: English

Should You Watch It? Yes

Did I Cry? Nope

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Available: To rent on Prime Video or may be available for free on other streaming platforms