Beau is Afraid movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Beau is Afraid

This dark comedy by A24 is now playing in theaters.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 2 hours 59 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: C

IN A NUTSHELL:

The story is about Beau, who tries to overcome fear and anxiety in order to return home after the sudden death of his mother.

The film was written and directed by the extremely creative Ari Aster. The film is brought to us by A24, a studio known for its unusual work.

THINGS I LIKED:

The movie had me at Joaquin Phoenix. He’s amazing and deserves all of the many awards he has received over the years.
The terrific cast also includes Tony Award winner Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan, Parker Posey, Tony and Grammy award-winning Patti LuPone, and Zoe Lister-Jones.
Director Aster definitely plays the long game with his films. While watching his mindblowing film Midsommar, I was bewildered, shocked, and horrified. In the end, I realized it was extremely clever, although it’s definitely not a movie for everyone’s taste. In this movie, Aster wants the audience to experience what it feels like to live with paranoid, emotional trauma.
If you enjoy Charlie Kaufman’s surrealistic style of art, you’ll be intrigued by this film. Otherwise, this is an unusual movie that simply won’t resonate with most viewers.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

The director took WAY too long to say what he wanted to say. This is a very long, tiring film. The director described the film as a 4-hour nightmare. It certainly feels like 4 hours but is just under 3 hours, which is still too long and a test of an audience’s endurance, hoping for something amazing to happen.
The film is confusing, indulgent, and strange. For me, it was painful to watch, knowing I could spend my time in better ways. Sure, I get the artsy-fartsy pieces and messages, but that doesn’t mean it’s my cup of tea.
The music and sound effects were often both hypnotic and annoying.
There really isn’t a huge plot; the movie is strung together by experiences that are designed to make you feel a variety of emotions.
It made me sad to think that there are probably people out there who are experiencing life like this. Last Fall, I saw several people like that on the streets of Vancouver in Canada. Heartbreaking.