Beau Is Afraid Blu-ray Review
“Beau Is Afraid” is a messy black comedy/surrealistic nightmare.
Written and directed by Ari Aster (the mind behind “Hereditary” and “Midsommar”), “Beau Is Afraid” revolves around the titular son of a wealthy businesswoman. As an adult man, Beau is living in a rundown neighborhood where he fears going outside. Initially he plans on traveling to see his mother, but the plans fall through. Shortly thereafter, he learns that his mother has died in an accident and that he must travel to her funeral. Thus begins the surreal nightmare of a journey that involves an accident, Beau being cared for by a couple/parents, an unstable war vet, a traveling theater group which causes his imagination to run wild, a childhood sweetheart, and Beau’s mysterious father.
For the first hour, the wildly ambitious “Beau Is Afraid” hooks you with a deeply unsettling representation of anxiety and paranoia that also explores the notion of what is real and what is an illusion. As the bizarre story unfolds, Ari Aster begins to lose his way (especially in the final act) as the talented filmmaker becomes far too self-indulgent in this 179 minute opus about mommy issues. It becomes almost punishing to watch intentionally or otherwise.
‘Beau’ is very much a departure from his past 2 films (although his warped humor is still present) so if you go in expecting another straight up horror film, you won’t get that. From a cinematic perspective, Aster’s eye for visuals is still nothing short of breathtaking. Even when the story goes off the rails, you can at least admire the artistry on screen. Aster deserves credit for taking a big swing like this. Even though he misses the mark, it’s still more fascinating than a lot of studio system releases.
It’s no secret that Joaquin Phoenix is one of the best modern actors and his performance as Beau only solidifies that. Beau is an anxiety ridden and indecisive character who harbors a lot of guilt and self-loathing, but horrible things seem to keep happening to him since birth. Phoenix delivers another bold performance where he throws himself into this challenging role like few actors can. There’s a lot of notable supporting performances here as well from the likes of Nathan Lane, Parker Posey, Patti LuPone, and Amy Ryan. Keep your ears peeled for a Bill Hader cameo as well.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.85:1 1080p. How does it look? A pristine print that does wonders for the film’s visuals.
Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound?The 5.1 track balances everything from the music to the dialogue extremely well.
Extras:
* Digital copy
* DVD copy
* A24 trailers
* “Finally Home: Making Beau Is Afraid”- A nearly 16 minute featurette that contains interviews, film clips, set footage, and discussions about the production, cast, characters and story.
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