HCA Gradebook: “Beau is Afraid”

Movie: Beau is Afraid
Plot: A paranoid man embarks on an epic odyssey to get home to his mother in this bold and ingeniously depraved new film from writer/director Ari Aster.
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zoe Lister-Jones, Armen Nahapetian, Parker Posey, and Patti LuPone
Director: Ari Aster
Release Date: April 21, 2023
Studio: A24
Number of Graders: 16
Overall Grade: B–

Erik Anderson says, “Beau is Afraid is the funniest and most unhinged creation of Ari Aster’s career. Imagine The Truman Show about a guy with deep mommy issues who spends his entire life being too scared to cum. There is an extended sequence so gorgeous and fascinating it deserves to be its own film. Joaquin Phoenix is so terrifyingly committed it’s unreal.”
Grade: A

Nikki Fowler says, “I needed to spiritually cleanse my soul after witnessing the three-hour fever dream Beau is Afraid. Is everyone that bad? Apparently so, in this wildly funny yet violent mommy issues-ridden think piece that will have you asking yourself what did I just watch and why? The first hour was extremely entertaining, but by hour three, I almost had enough of the train wreck, two-faced, double-crossing, paint-drinking, pill-popping spectacle. I had to self-care and went for drinks and pasta after. Was the film good? Yes, but it was like being trapped inside a heavily medicated, abused protagonist who has zero friends and is being hunted for 180 minutes straight by some of the worst people on the planet. Joaquin Phoenix is brilliant, as well as Nathan Lane, Patty LuPone, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Parker Posey, Amy Ryan, and more. You genuinely feel sorry for Beau; you want someone to help him, and you want him to escape what pains him, but that never happens. I just wanted a little bit more of a reason than stellar performances, great production + cinematography, and shock value to sit through it all.”
Grade: A-

Zachary Pope says, “Beau is Afraid is the DEFINITION of a WHAT THE FUCK did I just watch Movie. An incredibly accurate depiction of Paranoia, anxiety, & the horrors of life. Phoenix is incredible, Patti LuPone is POWERFUL, but Ari Aster’s direction is something of a master. I loved almost all of it.”
Grade: A-

Matt Neglia says, “Beau is Afraid is a nightmarish plunge into the deepest, darkest parts of our anxiety-laden minds. Ari Aster’s uncompromising vision & Joaquin Phoenix’s sheer emotional commitment are on full display for nearly 3 uncomfortable hours filled with fear, repression, guilt…My god it’s a lot to take in. All hail Patti LuPone who completely devours the third act. A stunning (that production design!) & maddening (what is reality?!?!) epic journey I will surely revisit as there’s much to unpack.”
Grade: A-

Ryan McQuade says, “Beau is Afraid is a lot to take in one sitting but I really dug it! Ari Aster’s three hour long anxiety centered epic is all about throwing the kitchen sink at the screen and see whatever deranged, paranoid thing sticks. There is a sequence in the middle of the movie that ranks as one of the best scenes of the year so far. Joaquin Phoenix is incredible but it is Patti LuPone who steals the show.”
Grade: B+

Nate Adams says, “Ari Aster’s third feature film, a three hour odyssey that puts a fervent spin on the idea of the hero’s journey, Beau is Afraid is a major departure from the director’s previous outings: the unforgettable chamber piece Hereditary, and the break-up movie from hell, Midsommar. In fact, Beau is Afraid aligns itself more with the likes of The Truman Show and Tennesse Williams’ The Glass Menagerie than most horror pictures. It’s also very funny, in a dark, morbid, and uneasy type of way as it chronicles the literal trials and tribulations of the main character, Beau Wassermann, a 49-year old virgin with a serious case of mommy issues. One who embarks on a massive ascension into his own troubled mind where every worst case scenario is played out in real time, and he’ll always be a massive inconvenience or disappointment to anyone he encounters. Especially his mother.”
Grade: B+

Aaron Neuwirth says, “Whether or not Aster is delving into his own personal struggles and relationships, Beau is Afraid is a movie exploring the extreme reactions that stem from guilt and humiliation, particularly in how that relates to the connection between a mother and son. It’s handled as bleakly as possible, which is perhaps why its comedic edge feels like Aster providing some relief rather than putting the audience through three hours of misery. And whatever the case, Joaquin Phoenix is terrific.”
Grade: B+

James White says, “Beau Is Afraid represents Hereditary/Midsommar director Ari Aster exorcising his own guilty demons on film and funneling them through the most unusual Joaquin Phoenix performance in a long time. Phoenix goes all in on Beau, but whether you will largely depend on your tolerance for abstract quirk.

“Divisive” is probably the best way to describe Aster’s latest, a movie unlikely to spur mild reactions or “meh” responses. I must admit that parts severely bored me and made me wonder what I was doing with my life to subject myself to this movie, but as the days have gone by, it has grown in my estimation, trickling into my subconscious in unexpected ways. It’s still far from a rip-roaring ride at the movies, but it’s worth seeing, even if all you come away with is a feeling of deep, unabated loathing, or joyous love at the idea of a director truly getting to make the movie he wanted.”
Grade: B+

Monica Gleberman says, “Beau is Afraid is a movie that at times can be REALLY hard to force yourself to watch. While it can come off extremely confusing, and weird. It almost feels like you are on an acid trip — while it’s a strange journey it does go over a lot of themes, one of which being mental health. Beau is someone that is unlike anyone else and Joaquin Phoneix is so connected to this role that you almost forget about any of his prior projects. Ari Aster, the director, added in elements that seem to come out of know where. However, its a fun watch and its truly difficult to find something original.. well this is QUITE original. I give a lot of props to the performances and risks this film was willing to take. Prepare to be confused and go for a while ‘puff the magic dragon’ type of ride.”
Grade: B

Nicholas Spake says, “It feels like Ari Aster’s career has been building towards a three-hour horror epic starring Joaquin Phoenix. And naturally, this surreal descent into madness is brought to us by the good folks at A24. It won’t come as a shock that Beau is Afraid derived from the same mind behind Hereditary and Midsommar. Yet, Beau is Afraid is by no means par for the course. Even by Aster’s standards, nothing can prepare you for just how strange, funny, and occasionally frustrating his third feature is. The execution might not be as successful as his previous efforts, but the film’s performers, craft, and warped interpretation of reality will linger under your skin.”
Grade: B-

Jonathan Fujii says, “I can’t tell if I’m overrating or underrating this movie. Fascinating and stunning sequences sprinkled throughout an odd, funny, anxiety filled premise in search of a movie. Whether you love or hate it, this movie will be talked about, and that’s a good thing.”
Grade: C+

Destiny Jackson says, “Beau is Afraid, and writer-director Ari Aster needs jail time. This latest three-hour jaunt to the movie theater is a testament to patience and ultimate un-comfortability that can result in suffocation for the average viewer. Overwrought and devastatingly non-linear, Aster’s Beau is Afraid is both a fun, ambitious treat for cinephiles and a nightmare of a screenplay brought to life that most def should have stayed in the drafts or at least the private diary of Aster’s local therapist. Standout performances from Joaquin Phoenix, Zoe Lister-Jones, and Patti LuPone, of course, but all their hard work doesn’t exactly pay off with such a bombastically muddled sense of direction and script weighing them down. A true Aster Disaster.”
Grade: C

Dan Murrell says, “Ambition is to rarely seen and should be rewarded, both on a studio level and a creative level, and Beau is Afraid is most definitely an ambitious film. However, it’s also so obviously linked to its director’s own neuroses and inner turmoil that it’s often opaque to the outside viewer. After a first act featuring some world-class surrealism and satire, Beau is Afraid slowly spirals into Ari Aster’s personal ramblings, often losing track of both story and character. Many people will applaud this; I found it alienating. Despite beautiful cinematography, innovative sound mixing, and a go-for-broke performance from Joaquin Phoenix, I admired Beau is Afraid more than I liked it, and despite some high points that show why Aster is one of the most exciting directors working today, the overall vision just didn’t work for me.”
Grade: C

Josie Meléndez says, “Beau is Afraid is another film on my list of projects I admire more than I enjoy. Designed to be discomforting, it teeters on the edge and falls into the abyss of exhaustion. It’s a draining feature that triggers all the known and unknown anxieties within myself. One would then argue that this nightmarish odyssey of mommy-issues-guilt gets the job done, fulfilling the goal it set out to do as a horror spectacle. But, one could also argue it ultimately gets lost within its own quest for unmatched terror.”
Grade: C-

Scott Menzel says, “Beau is Afraid is a film that frustrated me. While the film looks great, feels inspired, and features some great performances, the problem is that it goes too off the rails for its own good. The film starts off with a lot of promise but quickly begins to lose points for being too ‘out there.’ Not only is the runtime excessive but almost every scene feels like it never ends. There’s a good movie in there somewhere but Ari Aster need to make films as a form of his own personal therapy gets in the way of telling a good and compelling story. A self indulgent movie about a man dealing with extreme mommy issues.”
Grade: C-

Ricky Valero says, “Beau is like driving ten hours to see your family during the holidays. The entire ride is filled with some nice sights, but as each hour passes, you get increasingly exhausted to the point when you arrive, you are left unfulfilled.”
Grade: D