Beau Is Afraid stars Joaquin Phoenix (Image: undefined)
A terrifying film has been praised by viewers as ‘Oscar worthy’ and ‘anxiety inducing’, and it’s screening on Film4 tonight.
Beau Is Afraid, which premiered in 2023, follows an extremely nervous and timid man called Beau who sets off on a bizarre, epic and nightmarish journey home following the death of his domineering, self-obsessed mother.
This voyage compels him to face his deepest terrors, shame, and buried trauma in a Kafkaesque adventure that merges reality with fantasy, examining themes of motherly dominance, poisonous relationships, and overwhelming dread.
Featuring Joaquin Phoenix, Patti LuPone, Amy Ryan and Nathan Lane, the picture is helmed by Ari Aster and has emerged as a cult favourite horror flick with admirers lauding it as ‘twisted’ and ‘dark’.
One review said: « The nightmare world of Beau’s dreams becomes a shocking reality. Stupendous performances. Ari Aster psychedelic odyssey. Welcome to the birth of cinematic mutation. Enjoy the ride! ».
Joaquin Phoenix deserves an Oscar for his role, say fans (Image: undefined)
Another added: « This movie gave me one of the worst nightmares I’ve ever had, literally. Twisted dark stuff. Though it’s not because this movie is a horror kind of experience, per se. Not even really a psychological horror either. It’s a surreal, Kafka-esque, trapped nightmare. », reports the Mirror.
« The kind where nothing makes sense, you can’t win, and you can’t escape. And the comedy sprinkled in makes it even more unsettling.
« Honestly, this is one of the most terrifying movies I’ve ever seen. It’s deeply disturbing. I love a good weird film and it’s certainly weird.
« I also love surreal visuals and dream-like fantasy landscapes and all that, and while I’m not sure all of it works, and the pacing is at times very slow and other times quite erratic and frantic, this movie is seared into the back of my imagination and psyche and I almost feel a little unhinged after having watched it, like it shook a screw loose or something.
Beau Is Afraid has a cult following (Image: undefined)
« Joaquin Phoenix feels like the only human alive who could play this role. Part of me wants to watch it again just to dissect the metaphors and imagery, but another part of me wishes I’d never gone through this in the first place.
« This is, at least currently, my favorite film of all time. The entire point of the movie is to put you in Beau’s shoes. While not outright stated he’s coded as perhaps being schizophrenic with a developmental disability.
« The whole movie blurs the line between what is reality and what is in Beau’s head.
« There’s plenty of red herrings that you think *might* be plot relevant that wind up never coming up again. The environment feels hostile, unpredictable, and detached from reality.
« It does an incredible job with making you feel just as confused and on edge as Beau. The entire film is surreal and dreamlike and I absolutely adore it, » a third viewer wrote.
A fourth said: « A strange odyssey of a man trying his best to make it in a world of chaos.
« I loved this movie’s ambition and Joaquin Phoenix’s performance… he really deserved an Oscar nomination, » a fifth added.
Beau Is Afraid airs on Wednesday 4 February on Film4 at 9pm.
