Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton - Week of April 17, 2023

Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton

Week of April 17, 2023

Beau is Afraid

Rated R for graphic nudity, drug use, language, sexual content and strong violent content

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 76%

In Theaters

Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix teams with Midsommar writer/director Ari Aster for this strange film about a man with severe mommy issues. Beau is a man living in a nightmare where everyone and everything is out to get him. But he has one mission: to travel from his seemingly dangerous apartment to go visit his mother. But over a three-hour stretch, his journey takes us into what seems like the dark recesses of his mind, helping us get to know him, but also what made him the way he is. The film is truly like living in someone’s twisted dreams. At first the film feels like an exploration into severe mental health issues. But as the journey progresses, it starts to become real, and at times extremely scary. Much like he did with the brilliant Midsommar, the film isn’t obviously in the horror genre. It’s much more complex than that. But it is frightening, and at the same time equally fascinating. It reminds me of the first time I watched Barton Fink by the Coen Brothers. This has much of the same kind of vibe to it, but much more intense and odd. Phoenix is perfectly cast and delivers a masterclass performance here. He helps us not just travel with his character but also allows us to peer inside his mind and soul. He is aided with a great supporting cast including Nathan Lane, Patti LuPone, Amy Ryan, Stephen Henderson and Parker Posey, who all come into and out of his life in seemingly real ways while at the same time giving us the belief that they might very possibly be just part of his psyche. There is a lot to digest here, and although it is a bit long at three hours, I’m actually anxious to revisit. That being said, I can’t recommend it to a broad audience, knowing that many will hate me for it. It’s an insane, bizarre world Ari has created and I can imagine many walking out early due to the discomfort they will feel under its spell. A-