Beau Is Afraid
Directed by Ari Aster
- comedy
- adventure
- fantasy
The story
Following the sudden death of his mother, a mild-mannered but anxiety-ridden man confronts his darkest fears as he embarks on an epic odyssey back home.
What it’s like
Anxious, overlit and theatrical, with a sour, sweaty unease that tips between cringe comedy and nightmare. Beau Is Afraid is built from long, restless takes that drift through cramped apartments, a lurid city street and increasingly surreal landscapes, with the camera often held just a little too close to its lead, so every glance feels intrusive. The palette runs from dingy beige and hospital fluorescence to saturated stage-set colour, and the score swells and jitters like a heartbeat that won't settle. Pacing is deliberately uneven: stretches of awkward, claustrophobic talk give way to sudden lurches into animation, theatre and absurd chase sequences. The emotional register is dark, bitter and often very funny at its own expense, while the central figure is a fragile, self-doubting man whose arc is a slow, painful confrontation with his mother's shadow. Intensity is high: frequent graphic violence, some gore, explicit sexual content, nudity, suicide and sustained dread, all presented with a satirical edge rather than gentleness. It suits late-night viewing for people who want unsettling, brutally honest comedy and don't mind being made uncomfortable, and is not a fit for anyone seeking something soft or reassuring.
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