REVIEW #284 Beau is Afraid (2023)

A series of mishaps and misfortunes come Beaus way, starting from a missed flight and news of his mothers passing. The anxiety ridden man confronts his darkest fears as he embarks on a journey back home.

It’s films like this where we need to call it for what it is, a bizarre mess! My only assumption is that Ari was on hallucinogenics whilst writing the entire script, it’s the only logical explanation. Unfortunately the amazing cinematography and even Joaquin Phoenix himself, cannot justify a plot such as this. At its very core, it’s a deep dive into codependent guilt and the constant fear of an anxiety ridden mind. However to get to that conclusion you have to sit through three hours of confusion, bizarre events and utter nonsense. From large penis shaped monsters to a half an hour play narration that is enough to have you questioning your own sanity! A24 can, at times, receive criticism because fans tend to witness their movies artistic approach and brand the film a masterpiece when all it’s doing is using impressive cinematography to disguise a confusing and sub par plot. I disagree with that criticism 90% of the time but it’s never been more of the case, than with Beau is Afraid. I don’t mind strangeness, I even like plots that have you questioning yourself at times but I want it to follow some form of logic, so at least when the end arrives I can piece it together for myself. But that just wasn’t possible here. 

Now I’ve mentioned how good the cinematography was and rightfully so, there was such a good range of techniques which brought the movie to life. Amazing shots that utilised angles and lighting manipulation to create an array of wonderful stills. But Ari also used creative set designs to pull Beau inside of the play, providing a real trippy effect. When it comes to the acting, that was also pretty good too, Phoenix done wonders to make something out of that script and the supporting cast contributed similarly with their performances. Which makes it even more disappointing that the director took it way to far with the strange nature of the movie. If it was just toned down slightly and perhaps the tiniest bit of logic was applied to its narrative, we would have had a more cohesive film and a more enjoyable one as a result. Three people even left the cinema half an hour in and at that point, it was the tip of the iceberg! Finally, the three hour run time was way too long, I wanted to leave for the last hour but out of hope I stayed so that perhaps I could make some sense out of it… I could not! The first real miss I’ve seen from A24 here. 

Overall (4.5/10)

Thanks for reading

Callan