Beau Is Afraid 2023 Horror Movie Review
Have you heard the one about the boy named Beau who's terrified of his mom? Well, "Beau Is Afraid" unfolds this quirky tale in a captivating three-hour spectacle. Joaquin Phoenix delivers a mesmerizing performance, portraying a boy who mysteriously stops growing up and ages into an older body. Phoenix's acting makes you believe he's still a tiny kid, with a frail voice and soft eyes, creating a character too innocent for the harsh realities of the world.
Ari Aster, known for his dark humor in films like "Hereditary" and "Midsommar," takes the helm as the writer/director of this fantasy film with a twist of mommy issues. Despite the film's heavy themes, "Beau Is Afraid" stands out as Aster's funniest creation yet.
Beau, the main character, navigates a chaotic and violent downtown neighborhood, brilliantly brought to life by Aster and production designer Fiona Crombie. It's a world filled with fights, threats of jumping off buildings, and scattered dead bodies – a surreal dance of death and destruction. Aster skillfully captures this vivid chaos, setting the stage for Beau's looming anxieties.
The film's humor kicks in early, drawing you into Beau's absurd and claustrophobic world. From an irate neighbor leaving notes about noise when Beau is in complete silence to other quirky incidents, the first act is a rollercoaster of laughs and dread. However, the movie warns you – the ride won't be smooth, and inconsistency might leave you disoriented. Get ready for a wild journey into Beau's nightmarish and destiny-bound existence.
In Beau's life, the toughest moments come from phone calls with his overbearing mother, Mona Wassermann, whose initials grace almost everything in his rundown apartment. Patti LuPone's venomous portrayal of Mona creates intense tension, especially when guilt and shame pile up after Beau misses a flight to visit her. Phoenix shines in close-ups during these calls, conveying the struggle to hold it together, especially when he receives distressing news about his mother.
"Beau Is Afraid" unfolds in chapters, showcasing Beau's fluctuating sense of security. After a meltdown, he ends up injured in the care of suburban parents, played by Nathan Lane and Amy Ryan. They become a makeshift family, but tension arises with Toni (Kylie Rogers), upset about Beau invading her space. The film takes dark and fascinating turns, with Rogers injecting a force of nature into Beau's bewildering journey.
In a unique twist, the movie shifts to stop-motion animation directed by Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña. This sequence delves into the film's complex headspace, offering sentimental, hallucinatory, and poetic moments. It adds to the movie's irregular rhythms, emphasizing shapeless tangents for a full horrific effect, occasionally feeling obtuse or distant. The sequence also introduces a crucial metaphor about art becoming so lifelike that one loses sight of their own presence in it.
"Beau Is Afraid" flashes back to young Beau's experiences, revealing a cruise ship memory with a girl threatening his mother. While visually striking, these scenes expose a shortcoming in Aster's vision, struggling to convey tenderness authentically. Zoe Lister-Jones gives a colossal performance as Mona in these flashbacks, offering insight into what shaped Beau's perception of his mother. Her hypnotic monologue, bathed in red light, unveils a past memory that profoundly affects Beau. Despite some heavy-handed moments, Lister-Jones' portrayal adds depth to the film's rich, painful narrative.
In the final act of "Beau Is Afraid," the film fully embraces its identity as an exploitation movie born from a therapist's notes. It delves into a Grand Guignol of emotional and psychological trauma, delivering moments of terror, jaw-dropping absurdity, and a blend of past and present set to a well-chosen Mariah Carey song. Ari Aster introduces more characters, revelations, and psychological explosions, creating a feverish work with intense performances and a visually impressive modern setting. However, the film's relentless intensity, from Bobby Krlic's score to the Oedipal dialogue and self-parodying twists, risks overwhelming the audience and turning its intricate chaos into a simple scream.
Noteworthy performances from Parker Posey, Denis Ménochet, and Stephen McKinley Henderson add surprising depth to the movie's eccentric atmosphere. However, the most significant presence is Aster himself, openly grappling with his body of work. "Beau Is Afraid" feels like a fever dream through Aster's past creations and fixations, referencing his original short films like "Beau," the premise of "Munchausen," the nightmarish cityscape of "C'est la Vie," and his recurring themes of head trauma and communes. The film revisits elements that shaped "Hereditary," enhanced by first-person point-of-view shots and bookending scenes that showcase the personal nature of the movie on the outside and its transformation into entertainment.
These observations are based on a single viewing, and Aster's filmmaking style, seen in "Hereditary" and "Midsommar," often requires multiple viewings for a full understanding. The ambition of "Beau Is Afraid" echoes Paul Thomas Anderson's "Magnolia," emphasizing that Aster never delivers lazy or overly assured work. While the initial three-hour experience is dizzying and unforgettable, the true appreciation of the film may come with repeated viewings, unveiling more intricacies or potentially collapsing under its weight. Regardless, Ari Aster's dedication to his craft shines through in this ambitious and memorable cinematic journey.