Ari Aster, the director of 'Hereditary' and 'Midsommar', is back with his third film 'Beau is Afraid', and it's his most polarizing one yet. As a fan of 'Midsommar' but not 'Hereditary', I was eager to see what Aster had in store for us. Unfortunately, the three-hour runtime of the film didn't work in its favor.
The film stars Joaquin Phoenix and Parker Posey, and both of them deliver outstanding performances. Phoenix never fails to deliver on a character, and it was great to see Posey still has that flair for the dramatic that we all love or hate.
However, the audience will really feel the three-hour time of the film, and not in the best way. While every entertaining aspect of this film could have made it a film of the year candidate if it was under 2 hours, it fell short in execution. The over-the-top "woke" horror is starting to lose its luster and appeal.
The storyline revolves around a spoiled rich white kid being used to explain mental health issues, which is becoming an overused trope in the film industry. We need more diversity in storytelling to explore mental health issues. As a filmmaker, Ari Aster has the ability to create more diverse stories, and I'm hoping to see that in his future works.
While many critics will see 'Beau is Afraid' as a growth for Aster, I don't share the same sentiment. However, I would still recommend viewers to watch it, as it will genuinely become a favorite for many horror fans. ‘Psycho’ meets ‘Flowers for Algernon‘ is how I would describe ’Beau is Afraid’ .
To a large extent, 'Beau is Afraid' is a polarizing horror film, with a talented cast that delivers outstanding performances. However, the three-hour runtime and the overused trope of a spoiled rich white kid being used to explain mental health issues may not sit well with everyone. As a result, Horror Movies Uncut gives the film a 2/5. Nonetheless, the film is playing in theaters everywhere, and viewers should definitely give it a chance. I just hope to see more diversity in storytelling from Ari Aster in his future works.
2/5
Beau Is afraid is directed by Ari Aster and stars Joaquin Phoenix.
It is playin in theaters everywhere courtesy of A24.