Review: ‘Beau Is Afraid Will Linger In The Back Of Your Mind
Ari Astaire's latest feature film hits theaters.
A24's critically acclaimed horror writer Ari Astaire, best known for films Hereditary and Midsommar, premieres his third horror film, Scared Beautiful, on April 1st.
Beau Afraid follows a paranoid middle-aged bachelor who plans a trip to meet his mother, Mona, who lives abroad. On his way home, Bo faces his worst fear.
While some might call it an attempted execution of a poor man, others describe it as original cinematography of epic proportions. Either way, Aster delivers a theatrical experience that will be remembered, for better or for worse. Maybe the last.
Beautiful Scared follows a handsome middle-aged man, played by the incomparable Joaquin Phoenix, who lives a life full of stress, guilt, and indecision. Bo's mother is expecting him to visit, which leads to a very tense situation — hell for Bo, if you will.
Beauty Is Afraid's "Wait, What Was I Looking At?!" disagree with his opinion. The broken cinematic model that cemented Aster's reputation. Astaire's latest work has the same silly energy and quickly becomes deeply personal.
Aster uses shifting rhythms in his narrative structure. The rapid steps of the scheme are met by a sudden and unexpected slowdown. Aster's unpredictability keeps the audience's attention.
Besides the obvious inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock (particularly The Birds or The Rope), Auster uses his helpful methods for tension that springs from a place of embarrassing vulnerability. For someone like Poe, who is often paralyzed by indecision and fear, everyday worries hasten the hour of death.
Yet the shock value sequence of shock fades away as the audience tries to settle into the story's next beat.
Way through the original three-hour story, that three-hour original story has been released in theaters, which is pretty exciting in the age of franchises and the MCU. The second act feels a bit sluggish: it doesn't push and loses its subplot.
There is no doubt that the last hour of the movie is the most interesting. Here, Aster ensures that the movie becomes what he wants without confusing the viewer. In the corner of surrealism and animated drama, Aster is at her best. Key to this part of the movie is Patti LuPone's performance as Boo's mom.
When LuPone appeared on screen, there was a shift in story development. LuPone brought a darker tone to Bo's past. With dream sequences and flashbacks, Aster puts this piece of the puzzle together nicely.
Sound design, comfortable sets, and bold camera choices help turn this movie into a techno-entertainment.
Nathan Lane provided unexpected comic relief while meeting Roger, Bo's husband on his journey.
Frightened Beauty is the most dangerous and aggressive film of young Astaire's career.
It is unclear what kind of idea was formulated and it is often misused. In this case, Aster doesn't even know what "Pretty Scared" is.
Scared Beauty is worth a look if you don't mind leaving the stage even scarier than I left it.
Whether you love her or hate her, you won't be able to forget her.
