I truly don't know where to start with this one. I've become a fan of director Ari Aster. Hereditary and Midsommar are both great movies in my opinion, even though they're not for everyone. He has shown that his style is very much out there and he just does whatever he wants. I admire that in a filmmaker, so I was eagerly awaiting his next outing, Beau is Afraid. Well, it's now playing in theatres and I think it's Aster's best and worst work to date. There's no denying this film is brilliantly well-made, but the actual presentation (story wise) downright baffled me, in good and bad ways. Here's why I really enjoyed watching it, even though it will never be a film I recommend.
Joaquin Phoenix plays Beau, a man with an insane amount of anxiety. On the anniversary of his father's death, he has a plane ticket back home to visit his mother. Things prevent him from making his flight, which in turn leads to him slowly finding his way home anyways. That's the premise in a nutshell, but many other storylines are present as well. From confronting his demons through stage plays, crazy visuals, flashbacks, and some very creative practical effect work, Beau is Afraid is definitely one of the most unique films I've seen in a while. I loved watching this film, but didn't love it as a film overall.
The best way I can explain how much I actually liked it is to say that I think it's a 5-star film on a filmmaking level, but about a 2-star film when it comes down to how effective the story is. I was eating up everything this film was giving me. My jaw was on the floor from how they pulled off certain sequences. I just wish the story became more clear by the end. I was very engaged, but even when the film felt like it was delivering answers, they also felt far too vague. The film plays as if it's giving you all the answers, but I was well aware it wasn't. I never felt frustrated while watching it, because I was loving the journey, but afterwards, I really had to think about whether or not the experience was enough for me. It was, but I have to admit it's not a great movie as a whole.
Beau is Afriad isn't afraid to go all out in every scene. The studio that made this film (A24) also funded it as one of their most expensive films to date. The budget is used to its fullest potential here and the effort leaps off the screen. It's weird, visually stunning, and Phoenix's lead performance is stellar. Other than those aspects though, I was underwhelmed by the story. Still, if you're a film buff who likes to watch all movies, I recommend it, but to any casual viewer, I would say stay far, far away, it's probably not for you. It's a fantastic film to look at and follow along with, but it's simply not great otherwise in my opinion.
