Its a Scary World Out There

Three movies into his career and it's clear that Ari Aster is a filmaking mad genius. Quite how much is genius and how much is madness is up for debate. Beau is Afraid, a three hour long, deliberately obtuse endurance test doesn't help answer that question.

Main character Beau certainly flirts with madness. In therapy and suffering from some major mummy issues an impending trip to see said mother is the last thing his fragile psyche needs. After a disappearing suitcase and passport lead to him missing his plane the journey becomes an odyssey, reflecting the stages of life and all tinged with Beau's maternal issues.

We see everything from Beau's point of view, bringing into question how much of the crazy world is real and how much is the interpretation of mind that is always afraid. Maybe the world outside his apartment really is a semi apocalyptic nightmare or maybe he just feels that way. Perhaps his mother has influence over everyone he meets or perhaps she doesn't. This gives the film a dreamlike quality that allows Aster to flex his creative and allegorical muscles but means plot twists and reveals fall flat as they require the rules of the world to be clear in order to mean anything.

Joaquin Pheonix is as good as you would expect in the title role. In the midst of all the madness he stays mostly still, allowing the world and eclectic characters to do their bit, but the sense of mania and panic radiates from Beau in every scene. The rest of the cast is filled with great supporting performances, with Patti LuPone and Zoe Lister-Jones both excelling as Beau's fearsome mother at different points in time.

There is always something going on across the three hour runtime with a sinister undercurrent running through even the most benal scenes and a tonne of tar black humour. The problem is that any real meaning feels just out of reach. This, like the five act structure leaving the viewer feeling fatigued, is almost certainly deliberate but that doesn't make it any less frustrating. This leaves "Beau is Afraid" as something to be experienced than enjoyed but A24 deserve credit for putting such a budget behind an entirely unique project and Aster remains one of the most intriguing voices in Hollywood.

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