Beau Is Afraid

Ari Aster, a man with interesting ideas, which rarely translate to great cinema. There's a lot of potential here, and some scenes were definitely fun, but overall the film lost me one too many times. The combination of Phoenix's cringy overacting and his overly pathetic character made it difficult to keep myself invested in this 3-hour film.

Beau is afraid. He's afraid of the people he meets, of the world he lives in, of his past and his future. His anxiety controls his life, but it's also steering him in a direction that will ultimately force him to confront his fears. Whether that will lead him to his salvation is an entirely different matter.

Beau sees his fears materialized in the world around him, which makes for a very promising premise. Aster gets carte blanche for what is basically a fantasy thriller with strong dramatic notes and a bit of absurdist comedy thrown in for good measure. It makes for a wild trip, but one that is pretty slow and can get a bit too grating. For me, Phoenix was the personification of the Western zeitgeist, a person paralyzed by the potential of fear, but that may be taking it a step too far.