Beau Wasserman resides in the inner city as one's mother could picture it. On his busy block, he is constantly in danger from armed squatters, decaying bodies, and Birthday Boy Stab Man, a serial killer. His flat is just as terrible; a brown recluse spider lurks nearby and accosts him for creating noise despite leading a practically peaceful life. Beau (Zoe Lister-Jones and Patti LuPone) is getting ready to go home to see his mother, Mona Wasserman, when he finds himself on a terrifying journey that takes him from the shadowy reaches of suburbia to the abysmal depths of a mother's love.
Beau is Afraid establishes a visual language that speaks to Aster's earlier works while allowing him to go loose in a universe of his own invention. This is consistent with Aster's expanding body of motifs. Beau lives in a world similar to ours, but everyone there appears to have gone insane. The horror in Beau is Afraid excels at creating a really uncomfortable atmosphere even when nothing particularly horrific is occurring. aster finds ways to make the everyday terrifying or, at the very least, completely disconcerting, from her teenage years to being nursed back to health and sleeping with a long-lost crush.
Beau, on the other hand, is maybe one of the most overt crowd impersonators ever. It becomes tiresome to follow him for three hours just because he lacks interiority. Although part of the point of Aster's film is that in a world like Beau's, there is nothing to do but react, it does read as a bare-bones outline. Thankfully, Phoenix is here to give every jaw-dropping sight the respect and amazement it merits. Even though Beau's lack of conviction is partially the point once the movie reaches its peak, it doesn't entirely work as retroactive characterization.
Beau is Afraid, though, builds steadily to a number of major revelations that mostly land as they should. Because aster has allowed audiences to spend so much time in this world, one third act twist results in more of a "Oh, of course" than a gasp. It's just logical. Another twist is illogical, but this critic liked it because of how ridiculous it is. It will undoubtedly generate the most discussion about Beau is Afraid and, possibly, any movie this year.
It seems like Mom is the key for both Beau and aster, and Beau is Afraid saved LuPone until last, making the viewers feel something that will stick with them forever. Expect a wide range of emotions, including irritation, awe, frustration, and anything else completely indescribable. Though it's a torturous and exhilarating ride, Beau is Afraid will make one feel as its title character does in a way that few films can.