Yahoo Movies Joaquin Phoenix's new movie gets rave first reactions after surprise screening
Joker actor Joaquin Phoenix and Hereditary director Ari Aster's new movie Beau Is Afraid had a recent surprise screening over the weekend, as fans who turned up to watch a director's cut of Midsommar were treated to an April Fool: they were getting to see the new film weeks before release.
The "surrealist black comedy horror" stars Phoenix as a man ridden by anxiety and grief at the sudden death of his mother. He embarks on a weird journey into the bizarre that includes, among other things, getting kidnapped by Nathan Lane, an altercation with a teenage girl who drinks paint, an animated sequence and an apparently very strange sex scene.
Early impressions have been posted on Twitter from those who have been lucky enough to see it already, and those who liked it really liked it. The above description of the film apparently doesn't do it justice to just how weird the film is, with multiple people stating it will be a film that fans and critics will be unpacking (or trying to) for years to come.
However, not everyone found all of the weirdness to their taste, with one describing it as "a parody of an Ari Aster film", while a few people said the film is too long.
Here's what people have been saying:
Just saw BEAU IS AFRAID at a surprise (ish) screening at Alamo Drafthouse in San Francisco and it’s 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 come. pic.twitter.com/niEnENsCuX
— Erik Anderson (@awards_watch) April 1, 2023
Ari Aster’s #BeauIsAfraid is a daring mix of humor & horror. Part gorgeous existential nightmare fuel, part pitch-black comedic odyssey, it’s an astounding pillar of artistic genius. If you’re not left hyperventilating, you better check your pulse to make sure you’re not dead. pic.twitter.com/Y1HSKHU4KN
— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) April 1, 2023
A24's April Fool's Day prank: instead of screening MIDSOMMAR the director's cut, we got BEAU IS AFRAID. What a demented, imaginative, and darkly comical odyssey through guilt and repression. pic.twitter.com/Ob82LCHgbg
— Meagan Navarro (@HauntedMeg) April 1, 2023
BEAU IS AFRAID is kind of stunning?? I don’t have much else to add right now. There’s a usage of Mariah Carey that people are going to lose their minds over and that probably accounted for 1/35th of the budget.
— Ryan Lattanzio (@ryanlattanzio) April 1, 2023
Even the most sicko of sickos are not prepared for BEAU IS AFRAID, for better or worse. When you take swings this bold, the highs are astronomical while the lows are more unfullfilling. At times, a triumph in anxiety-inducing filmmaking. At others, a parody of an Ari Aster film. pic.twitter.com/KXHgJWDjNv
— Ezra Cubero (@EzraCubero) April 1, 2023
#BeauIsAfraid is unspeakably long, and the last act feels borderline impossible to unpack.
It is also visually astounding, and the first Ari Aster film to put me in full-on tears. A mommy issues epic to be approached with spectacular caution.
I don’t know what to say. pic.twitter.com/OCwKeWAyd0— alison foreman (@alfaforeman) April 1, 2023
#BeauIsAfraid is a DAZZLINGLY HAUNTING trip that lingers on the mind. A deep dive into mother son relationships that’ll have you laughing and frightened. @AriAster has done it again with his trademark style that’ll have you in awe. Joaquin Phoenix will keep you guessing. @A24 pic.twitter.com/x62mlMbIMV
— Shahbaz • The Movie Podcast (@shayhbaz) April 1, 2023
#BeauIsAfraid is a chaotic and anxiety-inducing acid trip that hasn’t left my mind. @AriAster has created an ODYSSEY OF MADNESS that will have you second guessing every frame. Joaquin Phoenix is as captivating as ever. This is one we’ll be analyzing for a very long time. @A24 pic.twitter.com/48oYFr575x
— Daniel Baptista • The Movie Podcast (@dbapz) April 1, 2023
#BeauIsAfraid takes you on an EPIC & INTENSE ADVENTURE that relentlessly taps into your FEARS, ANXIETIES, and unresolved MATERNAL ISSUES. It challenges your perception of REALITY and leaves you grappling with feelings of GUILT & SORROW. Beautifully shot, A MUST WATCH IN @IMAX pic.twitter.com/k4E0QVEkNm
— Anthony - The Movie Podcast (@AJJetset) April 1, 2023
Went to a screening of MIDSOMMAR directors cut and ended up seeing an early screening of BEAU IS AFRAID.
I laughed, I cringed, I was tense, I was in shock and awe. Holy shit. What a wholly unique experience.
Ari Aster: 3 for 3. pic.twitter.com/RSt87QEUGK— Jason Kauzlarich (@JasonKauz) April 1, 2023
#BeauIsAfraid is an epic journey through the peculiar and the macabre. It’s Ari Aster at his most surreal. A true mindfuck on multiple levels with an otherworldly performance from Joaquin Phoenix. Emotionally dense and psychologically enthralling, it’s a lot to unpack. pic.twitter.com/orYT5mRJK0
— Jeff Nelson (@SirJeffNelson) April 1, 2023
BEAU IS AFRAID is a nightmarish plunge into the 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. A stunning & maddening journey. All hail Patti LuPone! pic.twitter.com/aOI4KTjG6d
— Matt Neglia (@NextBestPicture) April 2, 2023
i don’t exactly know what to make of #BEAUISAFRAID but that’s certainly part of the point. it’s an oedipal hero’s journey that turns comedy and horror on their heads, morphing into something uniquely human. the ending is brilliant, i’ll need 5-7 business years to take it all in. pic.twitter.com/84BLVGbQbQ
— lex briscuso (▰˘◡˘▰) (@nikonamerica) April 1, 2023
None of you are ready for the anxiety-filled insanity that is #BeauIsAfraid . Ari Aster is here to send you on a 3-hour long odyssey of dark humor, absurdism, and stress because anything that can go wrong will go wrong. This will undoubtedly be his most divisive film to date. pic.twitter.com/ZJ5AC4ej3D
— Marianna Neal 🇺🇦 (@ImpressionBlend) April 1, 2023
Boy howdy: BEAU IS AFRAID is a humorous, horrific epic full of highs, lows & WTFs. A big look into the burdens of love worth watching on The Big Screen™️.
Ari Aster does it again, and much more. #BeauIsAfraid pic.twitter.com/pp7w5RJgqB— Alyssa Vidales (@instalyssa) April 1, 2023
#BeauIsAfraid is THE most shell shocking, anxiety induced motion picture experience of the year- you’ll walk away shakin & laughin. Can say confidently nothing else this year will top this absurd insanity. A bombastic journey into the psyche of Ari Aster’s anxious, big brain. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Izh0a92D13
— Manny Liotta (@MADMANN14) April 1, 2023
Aster appeared at the screening and revealed that while filming a scene with Patti LuPone, who plays Beau's manipulative mother, things got so intense that Phoenix actually fainted while during the shot.
Meanwhile, Phoenix is currently hard at work filming the sequel to Joker, titled Joker: Folie à Deux. Photos from the production have revealed Lady Gaga in costume as Harley Quinn, and has teased the possible appearance of another famous Batman villain.
Beau Is Afraid will be released in cinemas on April 21 in the US, and May 19 in the UK.
You Might Also Like
