‘Beau is Afraid’ (and so are we)
‘Hereditary’ and ‘Midsommar’ director’s new movie
STELLA SCHNEIDER / ASST. A&C EDITOR / THE USD VISTA
Director and writer Ari Aster is joining forces with production company A24 again for his new horror film “Beau is Afraid.” Joaquin Phoenix will play the lead, Beau Wassermann, as he embarks on the strange journey to his distant mother’s house.
“Beau is Afraid” looks at the dysfunctional relationship between the anxious and paranoid, middle-aged Beau, and his controlling mother, played by Patti Lapone.
Aster is known for the well-received A24 horror films, “Hereditary” and “Midsommar.” His debut came in the form of a YouTube short titled, “The Strange Thing About the Johnsons,” released in 2011. This short film created a lot of controversy due to its sexually horrific subject matter, but Aster went on to write and direct five more short films up until 2018, when A24 picked up and theatrically released his feature length, “Hereditary.”
A24 began as a small independent film distributor, but quickly became widely known for its production of numerous popular feature films over recent years.
A24 produces indie films that would not normally be chosen by many mainstream companies that chose formulaic films. Because of this, A24 is known to create unique, artistic films of all genres, ridding itself of the formulaic approach to films that has been popularized in film over recent years.
In more recent years, A24 has also helped indie horror films excel more than they have in the past.
Working with Ari Aster and other filmmakers in this genre made them successful in avoiding the typical slasher horror, while still creating horrifying content.
USD sophomore Mattie Benningfield loves Aster’s films and films of production company A24.
“A24 movies are more poetic in the sense that they don’t lay everything out on the table, the plot is not always linear and you can interpret the movie in your own way, which I think aligns well with how Ari Aster works,” Benningfield explained. “Ari Aster is so different from other directors, because you don’t know what he’s getting at the beginning of the story and yet he still draws you in. It’s not a typical plot; you think one thing will happen, and it turns out to be completely different. He definitely has a shock factor with that.”
Films that Aster has worked on with A24 in the past have done well in the box office for their disturbing and unique approach to horror.
USD junior Lily Dempsey is a fan of Aster’s previous work and the style in which he creates films.
“The interpersonal relationships Ari Aster highlights in all his films end up being the most horrific parts of the film. The gorey parts are only really used to emphasize that,” Dempsey explained. “I definitely respond to this style of psychological horror better. I appreciate the attention to detail and how there are so many easter eggs and reasons I want to come back to his work. I think it’s very admirable,” Dempsey expressed.
Many fans are interested to see where Aster will go with his new film.
At the premiere of the film on April 10, Aster was interviewed by The Hollywood Reporter, talking about working with Phoenix on the film.
“Joaquin is so committed and so engaged that the [film] kept coming back to life, which isn’t to say that it was dead, but it stayed alive in a way that was very, very exciting.”
Dempsey expressed interest in the life of this film, and the different route Aster takes in this psychological thriller.
“I’m excited to see ‘Beau is Afraid’ because I still don’t have a full idea of what it’s about. I like the idea of an older man being the subject of a film that is this mind-bending, crazy sort of adventure. We often see women as the main characters in films like this, and that definitely reflects some commentary on society infantilizing women and making them look crazy, so I’m glad to see this flipping of the script.”
“Beau is Afraid” has many fans of Aster’s previous work excited to see where this story will go.
The film will be released theatrically April 21.