Beau Is Afraid | The Horror of Anxiety

Beau Is Afraid, the latest film from Hereditary and Midsommar writer/director Ari Aster, mines horror in the life of a middle-aged man with crippling anxiety. Joaquin Phoenix stars in the polarizing and surprising 3-hour epic. Here's my video review. Have you seen Beau Is Afraid? Let me know in the comments below!

Written, Narrated & Edited by J.S. Lewis

#BeauIsAfraid #AriAster #JoaquinPhoenix
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MUSIC CREDITS:

♪ "Depth Fuse" - French Fuse
♪ "Alone" - Emmit Fenn
♪ “Walk Through the Park" - TrackTribe
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COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER:

Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.

[cineflect]

Have you seen Beau Is Afraid? Let me know what you thought of the film!

[RainbowErynn]

I love this film beyond words. I’ve seen it 5 times and will see it as many as I can while it’s in theaters. Joaquin is incredible. I enjoy probably about 85% of it and the last part just gets tougher to watch each time

[ithinkigotworms]

I loved it the second time. I have this theory that Mona isn’t even his mother and Beau is just a test baby for all the medication, food, housing ect. for the MW corporation. Even at the end it was like a public execution by a group of people who know every detail of his life.

[sueshoemaker]

I really love this film. My husband describes it as a kaleidoscope. A simple shift in the viewers perspective can completely change the movie. We've had some of the best post-watching discussions of possible viewpoints on what is "really" happening. An amazing film for anyone open to a non traditional story experience.

[dmgg]

Long story short, this was my favorite 3-hour-long panic attack. I loved the film.

[kavlara]

It was so so amazing in theaters. I want to see it again. It was beautiful and there was only one other person watching the movie with me. When the play happens, it literally felt like you were there the way the curtains draw back on the big screen. It was amazing. And as someone with ptsd who gets bouts of psychosis and extreme paranoia, i felt very seen.

[hunnibabbe]

this movie is like if of ur anxiety induced “what ifs” came to pass. i literally couldnt love it more than i do

[SanityChan]

I saw this movie with my husband last weekend and at the end we both agreed it wasn't an immediate favorite movie but it was pretty good. I've been thinking about it for 5 days straight, mentally processing every scene I can remember and growing more and more fascinated with all the different elements. It truly is an assault to the senses on first watch but I think I actually really love it lol

[joshuahaddox]

I think what is great about this film is that love it or hate it, it is creating conversations that are making people actually think and debate on it. If a film can do that, that is a win in my book. You got a new subscriber btw lol

[canelillard]

The womb is the Shire in this “Jewish Lord of the Rings” analogy: he’s born, he half-heartedly tries to exert autonomy in the world outside it, and in the end he returns to where he came to be judged (water being a metaphor for the womb).

[johnhogan]

This is one of my new favorites. It was like stepping into cloudy ocean water. I loved how the story was almost always emotional rather than analytical or explanatory. The hero Beau section touched my heart, and it was so totally unique

[Neverender]

Another thing it really reminded me of was the 1982 film based on Pink Floyd's album The Wall. They both focus on an emotionally isolated and mentally disturbed man who grew up with no father and an overbearing mother, both feature a mix of live action and animated sequences, the grotesque imagery of Beau's "father" in the attic reminded me a lot of the judge from The Wall, and both films conclude with the main character being condemned in a very surreal and disturbing trial. The lyrics from many of the songs on The Wall also fit Beau is Afraid pretty well in my opinion, particularly the song Mother.

[hammedburger]

This movie left me with a panic attack when I left the theater. I love it.

[zackmiller]

Loved everything about it. The colors and sounds, as well as the fast-paced madness, bled together into an amalgamation of cinematography perfected. It really relays the feelings of anxiety and guilt to the audience using every resource at thier disposal.

[hongquiao]

I love that Ari Aster had the balls to make something different!
I love that A24 had the balls to support him!!
I love balls!!!

[longstrangetrip]

Saw this last night, an overwhelming trip honestly. Aster once again proves how unique and surreal his films are, I was confused the entire time yet intrigued. Definitely worth the 3hrs!

[lisaconnelly]

“A Jewish lord of the rings…but he’s just going to his mom’s house.”
Well I’m sold.

[icarocoelhoferreira]

I watched this movie with my Garmin watch. It literally gave me the “relax reminder” two times throughout the movie. Last time the watch gave this warming during a movie? Midsommar.

[nasanoir]

"It's such a mix of high brow and low brow that it's more of a big ol unibrow..." LOL.

[upatriot]

Frankly, I think the film's a masterpiece. You need to be in a certain headspace to see it – I definitely get why it's so polarizing — but I went in knowing nothing except that it was an Ari Aster film and I was transfixed for three hours. Immensely disturbing, yes, but also darkly funny and oddly moving. I'm so glad he got this on IMAX, I agree that it's a film that benefits from a bit of scale. Great review, glad to see some more positive impressions out there: was starting to think my taste was objectively bad based on some of the other reviews out there.