The bad reviews of this movie are like "very self-indulgent", and "I didn't really get it", and the good reviews are like "very self-indulgent" and "I didn't really get it". I love movies like that.
I hated it, not because I didn't get it, but because there was nothing below the surface to get. I mean, the movie is literally about a man with anxiety and an overbearing mother, which is all there is to get. What is it people don't get?
As someone who just saw the movie. It is definitely very self-indulgent and nigh inscrutable. I can't even say whether its good or bad, just that it'll be the most interesting movie you see this year.
... I'm pretty sure most cinephiles/film enthusiasts/critics/film scholars would describe it as both. Debates don't necessarily have clear "winners" and "losers" either, and most of the time that word is synonymous with "discussion." Not sure what Dan was getting defensive about there, like a horde of Ari Aster fans were gonna come after him for not liking this movie.
Debates do have clear winners and losers, or at least that’s the idea. The #1 goal is to persuade the listener to agree with your side. And I fully expect an angry army of Ari Aster fans to come after me for not liking the movie, haha.
I saw it last night and the audience in my theater reacted the exact same way. As soon as ending credits started there was this eerie silence… nobody knew what to say.
I was not surprised by the ballsy move to end it on a quiet, uncomfortable note. For most of it, we got the dark, innuendo jokes and humor that lied beneath the veneer of its narrative and for that, I dug this one. Definitely a divisive one and a film I can say will become a cult classic down the road.
I have a theory that the film is an experiment and if the audience had yelled to save Beau at the end, it would have prompted the projectionist to switch to a different reel with a different ending. The reason it feels like that is that the film ends with the people in the audience watching the trial, and the “experimental theater where the audience gets involved” in the woods, but I wasnt going to be the one to test my theory lol
@@ilearncode7365 damn that would have been wild. The parallel between the stadium emptying out before he was even finished drowning and the movie audience itself filtering out at the same time was fascinating.
Extremely disappointed I’ve been looking forward to this film for years even when it was known as disappointment blvd. sounds like a dud and I’m very critical of films it needs to be very intriguing to get me to sit through it especially at 3 hours. I absolutely loved hereditary and hated midsommar. This movie sounds like I’ll be right in the middle of the 2… I think I’ll check it out when it’s free on prime definitely doesn’t seem like a movie you go out to see in the theatre
I appreciate there are still directors willing to take big swings. Ari Aster is definitely one of those filmmakers. This particular movie might not have worked for many people, but it still has such a fantastic visual style, which is something that can be appreciated separately (for some people). Thanks for the review, Dan!
The movie lost me half way through, but I definitely agree with you. Speaking as someone who had Babylon in their top 2 favorite movoes of last year, creativity and ambition should totally be championed in this era of film making
I both appreciate and have a high tolerance for the interminably weird. I have not been to a theater in years, and plan on seeing "Beau is Afraid" just to witness people's reactions.
@@coreartalex6708 I was more referring to the fact that the Charlotte Gainsbourg character in Melancholia suffering from anxiety is basically the other main character, and meant to highlight the differences between anxiety and depression alongside Kirsten Dunst’s depressed character.
If you have loved ones in your family and/or friends who struggle with extreme anxiety and intrusive thoughts, you should watch this movie, it's a perfect window into how we spiral into our own imagination of absurd consequences for mundane actions.
when i saw it, the audience's 'energy loss' felt more like intrigue/entertainment moving toward this quiet reverence for how wildly bold and, at times, downright terrifying it became
Hey Dan, I don’t comment here very often… but you are a great movie critic. It always impresses me how you tackle films like this in such a clear, objective and interesting way.
@@youtubedj9298 Why would I want to promote my channel, which is entirely spoken in portuguese, to someone who doesn't even speak the language (to my knowledge)? It was just a compliment.
@@gustavogirottothat's a good point, especially since you wrote this comment in English instead of Portuguese. Almost as if most people around the world speak English as a second language.
Saw this today, love that the audience was split between people laughing truly enjoying it, and people walking out. Those of us who remained til the end also either just sat there in silence while others left cursing or just in disbelief, it was a brilliant film
Guarantee you that this movie won't do well financially, but will have people complaining about how Hollywood lacks originality even though movies like this exist for people to watch.
I feel like every stylistically distinct film director gets to a point where they need to be edited. For me, Tenet was the film of Chris Nolas where is said yep, maybe too indulgently Nolan. The French Dispatch is where Wes Anderson reached the tipping point. M Nights career is littered with movies where its would have been advisable to scale back on the M night tendacies. And so on.. and its entirely possible that this is the Ari Aster movie where we say yep, he may need to dial it back down a few notches.
This is spot on. The only difference being Anderson and Nolan had a much deeper filmography and had almost earned the right to be that indulgent. Aster is a novice filmmaker relative to those two.
I think what some people don't like about this film are it's most raw and very intentional aspects. I found it exhausting by the end as well, but so is anxiety. This film is a stunningly exact portrait of anxious daydreams or restless nights of sleep. Overlong, leaps in logic, no sequiturs of thought taken to their logical and dramatic extremes in between completely separate thoughts, overblown snd emotionally explosive, and just deeply discomforting. This film is a view into what it is like to live with a brain working on overdrive and even if it isn't perfect i appreciate the things that don't click for that reason, everything in it has purpose.
Just seeing the look on your face in the thumbnail made me have to watch this review and, wow, you hit all the key points of how I felt when I saw it (although I missed seeing it in IMAX and am kind of sad about that). I was all in for that first act and the world-building of Beau's neighborhood was great. And the stay with Amy Ryan and Nathan Lane was really intriguing, as well. I also loved the initial start of the sequence in the woods and the start of the animated dream sequence, but then that just started to drag and little by little I was more confused and also less interested. I totally agree that the filmmaking was fantastic, especially the cinematography, but also set design, and Joaquin's performance was great (as was the rest of the cast). But the script definitely seemed unfocused and I really ended up feeling every minute of that run time, and your comparison with "Babylon" was pretty perfect. About three decades ago when I went to see David Cronenberg's film version of "Naked Lunch" I'll never forget at the end of the final scene when the screen cut to black followed by the 'Directed by David Cronenberg' title, a guy seated a few rows ahead of me just yelled "WHAT!?". At the end of "Beau is Afraid", while there's no cut to black, the director credit coming up over that final shot prompted the guy seated right in front of me to just throw up his hands in a similar silent gesture. I both want to watch this film again and also never want to waste another three hours. But, props to Ari for creating his vision, even if he really did need someone to perhaps guide him to a more cohesive, but no less artisticly expressed, story.
This sounds like how people reviewed and described Darren Aronofsky’s Mother! …a movie I wanted to like, but ultimately just thought it was really weird for weird’s sake.
Great review, Dan! I really enjoyed the film because so many of the themes and scenarios in the film have a direct correlation to MY therapy. If I didn't have my personal, and a lot of it recent, life experience I would have been left utterly bewildered by the ending of the film. I'm just glad art like this exists.
I actually saw this last Friday at Lincoln Square's IMAX and I was not only stunned but surprised by the audaciousness of the whole film. It truly was quite unique, surprisingly dark with its comedy and horror elements have a tinge of awkward yet surreal nature to it that feeds into the overall narrative of a man dealing with grief, anxiety, and fear over just simply visiting his mother. This was clearly going to be a divisive one (as was the case with his other works), and it feels like a cult classic in the making for what it accomplishes and stumbles upon its execution of said themes and the film overall.
Love your statement/thesis on film criticism. We're all humans with our own lived experiences. No one person can see the whole shape, but as we discuss, we can get closer to seeingbthe full picture. Always love ya, Dan. Keep being wonderful.
Definitely enjoyed this film but absolutely will test people's patience, frustrate people, and probably exhaust them. I love that a movie like this even got made and whether or not it will sit on a higher rung for my favourite films is yet to be decided, there's a lot to digest in it, I think for sure it is without a doubt one of the most memorable movies I will remember down the line. It really is a surrealist nightmarish run-on sentence of a movie for better and for worse and I'm probably someone who is going to sit more nicely with some of the more alienating parts of the film. But people really should not be so angry at people who did not like it because this genuinely will be a movie that will be very fun to discuss no matter what you thought of it. I very much agree with the idea of respect and not liking something though. Felt the same way for Avatar's sequel. Did not click for me personally but there's a craft there, the hundreds of artist who continue to expand that world and fully realize it, and the ability for Cameron to weave those aspects together into a blockbuster film is commendable. Him and the people who worked on that movie are very talented.
I'm curious how I will respond to Beau is Afraid. I loved Hereditary but found Midsommar too disturbing (although one day I plan to give it another viewing to see if I respond differently). I also love so many of the roles Joaquin Phoenix choses.
I think there's a lot pressure on "auteur" filmmakers to be the next Scorsese, Lynch, Tarantino. People like Peele, Chazelle, and Aster get gassed by early success like Get Out, Whiplash, and Hereditary; string together competent follow ups; and are gifted spectacle budget productions which allow them to deliver an unmolested vision. Phase three is where the talent is supposed to deliver either commercial success or tremendous prestige. Unfortunately for this recent trio, execution did not match neither ambition nor budget. In a lot of cases you can see where filmmakers fell for the trap of believing their own hype. It's likely because everything is about curated images in Hollywood. In any case, it's not the end of their careers, but it is the beginning of new expectations.
The animated sequence DOES play a part in the story. This is about a man whose greatest crime is passivity. The play shows him the life he could have had. In many ways it’s Glinda the good witch telling him he possesses the power to get home… The tests he faces challenge him to use his mind, his heart and courage.
I think he just doesn't used to surrealist experimental type of film. I don't think he even enjoy Synecdoche, New York lol which Beau is afraid heavily inspired by
@@UNKOWN_911 its worth mentioning that people that dont understand what the only objective purpose in life is (reproduction), will not understand this movie because the movie assumes you are not an NPC. *ERROR LOG: "Cannot find reference 'life.purpose'. Running fallback script" NPC: "It is dumb to have purpose. It is dumb to spend your life searching for your lost children. You can eat pizza, drink local brews, play video games and masturbate to tik-tok instead."
Same experience in my theater and personally you could feel yourself settling into the movie and it becoming more Endurance towards the middle then it picked up again and ended strong
Glad I'm not the only one, my buddy was so hyped for this...he apologized to me afterwards. This passed me off; the runtime was fine, I don't mind 3hr films, but man this should have been edited different. And only 3 movies in? Yeah Ari Aster has too many yes men around him. Could have been an amazing film but wound up being a whole handful of nothing.
How would you compare your experience of this film to Charlie Kaufman’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things? I said the same exact thing after seeing that re: feeling like no one was there to tell the director no, and it sounds like this was frustrating for all the same reasons?
This felt a bit like a less effective version of that. In fact, a couple parts felt like aster trying to do Kaufman but without that existential ping that makes it resonate so well
It's interesting that even the negative reviews for this one have made me more excited to see it. I just wish it was playing locally. I don't know of I'll have time to go out of town during its run.
Great Stuff, Dan. I’ve got tickets for Friday. Yeah, the runtime had me a little worried as it feels like a big commitment. Aster’s films definitely make me feel something. Whether it’s discomfort, terror, or laughing at the macabre, his films are always super memorable, whether I like them or not. I just saw SISU on Monday. It was brilliant so add it to your list. I just put up a review of it today. Have a good one Brotha! I really appreciate your perspective and the way you articulate things about films. Cheers.
This was almost word for word what I said after I left. Kinda freaked me out a bit if I’m being honest. A wonderful analysis that goes beyond the film. Fantastic job Dan
My favourite movie of the year by far. The first half is probably the best though. I liked the entire movie, but i absolutely loved the apartment and weird nuclear family portion.
As always: great work, love the channel. Just saw it, and I thought it was a career best! I thought it made profound sense, but that also concerns me a little bit. It was like Charlie Kaufman made a Sigmund Freud fever dream; birth, death, sex, maternal betrayal, Freddy Quell meets Oedipus (who is kind of like Commodus). I respect your take though, at times it did feel almost intentionally and distastefully elusive, crude and disjointed. It did not feel like a movie that was trying to get its audience to enjoy it. But whatever else it is, Beau Is Afraid is compelling, powerful, and affecting cinema.
I appreciate the nuance that you bring to every review, and this one is no exception. Thanks Dan! I already expected this film wouldn’t be for me because I have a large aversion to disturbing horror imagery and Ari Aster being who he is, we’d probably see that here too.
With Bardo, Babylon, and now Beau Is Afraid, it feels like maximalism is the in thing in cinema right now. But it doesn't seem to be vibing with audiences.
I am still thinking if it is worth my effort to take a bus to another city’s cinema. 😅 Really loved your channel, just found it. Hugs from Brasil. 🇧🇷💚💛
During this review, I started to think about how much your comments could apply to David Lynch's "Inland Empire" (one of my Top 10 movies) & then later you referenced Lynch yourself! All in all, "Beau is Afraid" sounds like it could be right up my alley, thanks!
Okay, I have some thoughts, and I haven't seen it yet (current plan is to see it on Monday): #1- I'm incredibly frustrated by early reviews. A lot of critics (I'm pretty sure you never said this, Dan) very rapidly declared after casting and the announcement of the movie (which was originally titled "Disappointment Blvd." at that point) that it was going to be Ari Asters Citizen Kane. I hated that reaction because that's a lot of pressure on him, plus if he didn't deliver, critics would rip it to shreds, which they did and have this far. Having said that, you gave a very balanced review, Dan, and I greatly appreciate it. #2- If nothing else, I'm glad that Ari Aster and A24 took chances and continue to produce original works. We're in a sea of remakes, sequels, and reboots, so original ideas mean a lot to me. #3- I immediately shuddered when you compared this to Babylon, which I really didn't like. I'm now concerned, but I'm still committed to seeing it. End.
It's a very particular movie and if you're invested in it you're gonna love it, if you're not then you will find it pretentious, boring, sluggish and self indulgent. I definitely see why people think the later and that's okay, their opinion is valid, yet I feel like some people are trying to pin it as "objectively bad". I watched it today and thought none of those things. It's a gorgeously shot and dressed, very well acted and incredibly weird movie driven by anxiety and a very strange comedic tone that I absolutely loved. I don't care how over the top or self indulgent it is - it is a piece of entertainment and it thoroughly entertained me! I don't think you should be too concerned by the Babylon thing, it's a weird comparison. I think more people should focus on what you say in your 2nd point - it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if it's original and at least a few people genuinely enjoy it, that should be celebrated more!
I was fearing a messy blank check movie. It felt like a directors cut. Hopefully one day we get a studio cut and it's a two hour edit that refines this glorious monstrosity. Maybe if it was a mini series the disjointed nature would play better.
The silence at the end of the movie was awkward, to say the least. A couple had left the theater right after Beau chokes his mom. My husband and I waited until the end of the credits to see if there was an explanation, like a post-credit scene, but there wasn't. We watched it two days ago and we still can't feel like we got everything right. It was bizarre and I liked it, but I don't know if I'd watch it again. Maybe in a couple of months and perhaps then I can catch more details.
After watching it finally, I honestly came out satisfied, but not. It was very uncomfortable but it made you seethe in those situations. I really don't know how to feel about it. I feel his other major releases were more coherent, but this is out there man.
The only movies I consider as bad are those that don’t make me feel anything. I can confidently say this movie made me feel. That feeling was anxiety and fear just like beau. I don’t know if I liked this or not but I know that I want to talk about with others just to see if they picked up on things I hadn’t. It was truly a fascinating film and I agree with you it’s definitely a film to talk about and analyze and discuss. I absolutely love that because very few films make me feel that way and it’s nice to have that feeling again. Love your videos!
I agree with your first sentence and that's why I just didn't like this movie. I wanted it to make me feel anxious or to make me laugh or to make me upset in some way or literally anything but by that third hour I was just completely uninvolved - very conscious of just sitting there in the dark room waiting for it to end. That's why a lot of this talk of it being a divisive movie is misleading to me. It's not like I was sitting there in stunned silence afterwards, the effect of the film was just less and less as it went on to the point where when it ended I was just like well I guess that's done.
@@jamessiewert3561 interesting. Was it just the story overall? Because I agree with you the last act was tough to get there I was just over it and annoyed but you felt that way the entire movie? Beau’s anxiety and the environment he was in didn’t make you feel anything? I’m actually really interested in you experience so thanks for sharing
@@sharlettr4368 really what sealed the deal was the amount of lecturing that the film did in the last 40 minutes. I don't mind when characters are very aggressive and direct about their feelings in a way that is didactic - maybe Aster thought he was making Autumn Sonata. But the writing has to be good and it just wasn't. I didn't really feel like the character that were doing the lecturing were responding to the other characters in the scene so much as exposition dumping for the audience. And the movie just lost all of its imagination - the thing that beau encounters in the attic felt like a first draft: so blindingly obvious in it's symbolic and visual presentation that there's nothing to engage my curiosity. Like it's just so boring looking, it feels a placeholder for a more interesting idea And then he comes down and has to say this line "that was Dad?!" Which again feels like lazy writing - dialog who's expositional purpose is just to fill the audience in, not plausible as communication between characters. There were shades of this didactism in the animated section which was beautiful but includes this voiceover narration that just literally tells you everything that's happening on screen for 10 minutes, and it feels redundant and it's just hammering you with piles of information, rather than allowing the viewer to soak in the experience. Parker Posey's character also was just implausibly written, and I understand it was meant to be a wish-fulfillment thing but it just didn't have emotional impact one way or the other. Just too bad because she's playing the older version of a character that I liked and was interested in that storyline. I will say I thought that the very last scene was cool and lived up to the promise of the first hour 15 minutes. But it comes after an hour that I was basically tapped out for so it wasn't enough to rescue the experience for me. The Orson Welles adaptation of The Trial or Synecdoche New York just seemed like more successful explorations a lot of the same ideas.
*HUGE SPOILERS*** I will say I love the beginning, the middle was very long and I can see people really not enjoying it, but I was completely won back over with the ending through the scenes with his mother. Hit very close to home is certain aspects so i am biased there
I don't know if it's a great movie or even good, but I think everyone should watch it at least once, because if one thing's for sure, it's not forgettable.
Personally I think this film is supposed to get the audience exhausted given it’s from Beau’s perspective and that’s why I don’t think the runtime is an issue
It sort of feels like what happened in publishing has happened in film. It's been made next to impossible to get your foot in the door, but once you do, nobody is there to say "no" or push back. It's why all of a sudden every genre novel was 500+ pages long, even though they often only had 200 pages of story. And now, movies all seem to be two and a half or three hours, even though they really shouldn't be. Sometimes it's the limitations and the fight against the people saying "no" that help forge better films.
I don't think this movie is for me. I couldn't finish The King's Speech, because I got severe stage fright by proxy. Beau sounds like just the kind of abstract movie I would love, but it also sounds like an anxiety attack in the making.
Hi Dan, I am wondering if you will be doing a Season 3 review of the Mandalorian? Given it has been a very polarising season , I would love to her your thoughts!
I think your point about film criticism somewhere around 6:30 or so is excellent. No one is going to come up with the "definitive" answer to what this movie is "about" or what it "means". But the discussion about those things is what excites me to talk to people who have seen it and are willing to talk about more than their perceived flaws of this film.
"Almost Famous" cost 60 mil back in the day, which probably makes it the most expensive therapy session (if you listen to the DC commentary also by Cameron Crowe's own account) to date.
I gotta disagree, I don't think we should be interfering with directors in their art. Someone like Ari aster and Aronofsky need to be let 100 percent free to do what their vision sees.
Can we aknowledge that we spent 3hours on a film about a man getting home to see his mom? That’s originality and a good story. What maybe a flaw in my opinion is Beau’s character, we only see him in the light of fear and confusion only reacting to the things around him, I get that it’s who he is, but I wish there were more lines like the ones he had in the 4th act of the movie. It was a good experience!
Spoiler alert so I’m hiding this: I say a review that said “that’s an odd way to say your dad is a huge dick” and that kinda changed the outlook for me.
Babylon wasn’t for me but I think directors should explore everything they want to, It gives them the opportunity to learn from it and naturally progress to the next film they were always supposed to make (hopefully a less confusing one). As critics at least we shouldn’t encourage the executive to be more involved.
The beginning was amazing; the house section should have been great, Lane and Ryan were brilliant, but the Toni character ruined this section; the play ruined the pace of the film and felt hollow; and Elaine's adult scenes wound up pointless. And the 'mom berating son' scene? Yeah Aster already did that (much cleaner) in Hereditary; and that attic scene? Was dumber than it was shocking. When Aster's name showed up on screen during that wannabe Black Swan credits sequence I exhaled a very necessary "oh f#$% you!"
It sounds painfully self indulgent. All due respect to Aster, I don’t think he has enough credit in the bank to just do whatever he wants to do, audience be damned. He’s made one great film and one okay film that doesn’t hold up to rewatches and then he’s given a blank cheque…
I haven't seen movies like this in decades. It is David Lynch-esque. 20 years ago we had movies like Magnolia, The Game, Falling Down, Natural Born Killers that took chances and became cult classics. I WANT more movies like this, it will flop in the box office but it will definitely talked about as a cult classic in 20 years time. It will do good in dvd/blu-ray sales.
I will be watching it, with tempered expectations and an open mind. Saw Renfield today, seeing Suzume tomorrow and Evil Dead Rise friday, then Beau is afraid on the weekend and perhaps Chevalier next week.
The bad reviews of this movie are like "very self-indulgent", and "I didn't really get it", and the good reviews are like "very self-indulgent" and "I didn't really get it". I love movies like that.
I love movies like that too and I still thought it was really dumb. It totally lost me in the second half. To each their own though.
I hated it, not because I didn't get it, but because there was nothing below the surface to get. I mean, the movie is literally about a man with anxiety and an overbearing mother, which is all there is to get. What is it people don't get?
Reminds me of reviews for The Master.
As someone who just saw the movie. It is definitely very self-indulgent and nigh inscrutable. I can't even say whether its good or bad, just that it'll be the most interesting movie you see this year.
@DesertSuede The surreal abstract storytelling? I'm glad you didn't find it challenging but most people most certainly will
"Film criticism is analysis, it's not debate"
Didn't expect Dan to come in with that heat today. 🔥
... I'm pretty sure most cinephiles/film enthusiasts/critics/film scholars would describe it as both. Debates don't necessarily have clear "winners" and "losers" either, and most of the time that word is synonymous with "discussion." Not sure what Dan was getting defensive about there, like a horde of Ari Aster fans were gonna come after him for not liking this movie.
Debates do have clear winners and losers, or at least that’s the idea. The #1 goal is to persuade the listener to agree with your side. And I fully expect an angry army of Ari Aster fans to come after me for not liking the movie, haha.
Coming from the Movie Fights Champ
@@CMontgomeryBurns09 don't underestimate the power of Ari Aster standom
@@danny13293Elections. They're called elections.
I saw it last night and the audience in my theater reacted the exact same way. As soon as ending credits started there was this eerie silence… nobody knew what to say.
My theater was silent too
I was not surprised by the ballsy move to end it on a quiet, uncomfortable note. For most of it, we got the dark, innuendo jokes and humor that lied beneath the veneer of its narrative and for that, I dug this one. Definitely a divisive one and a film I can say will become a cult classic down the road.
I have a theory that the film is an experiment and if the audience had yelled to save Beau at the end, it would have prompted the projectionist to switch to a different reel with a different ending. The reason it feels like that is that the film ends with the people in the audience watching the trial, and the “experimental theater where the audience gets involved” in the woods, but I wasnt going to be the one to test my theory lol
@@ilearncode7365 damn that would have been wild. The parallel between the stadium emptying out before he was even finished drowning and the movie audience itself filtering out at the same time was fascinating.
Extremely disappointed I’ve been looking forward to this film for years even when it was known as disappointment blvd. sounds like a dud and I’m very critical of films it needs to be very intriguing to get me to sit through it especially at 3 hours. I absolutely loved hereditary and hated midsommar. This movie sounds like I’ll be right in the middle of the 2… I think I’ll check it out when it’s free on prime definitely doesn’t seem like a movie you go out to see in the theatre
I appreciate there are still directors willing to take big swings. Ari Aster is definitely one of those filmmakers. This particular movie might not have worked for many people, but it still has such a fantastic visual style, which is something that can be appreciated separately (for some people). Thanks for the review, Dan!
Would you compare this to (as in similar) "Synecdoche, New York?"
The movie lost me half way through, but I definitely agree with you. Speaking as someone who had Babylon in their top 2 favorite movoes of last year, creativity and ambition should totally be championed in this era of film making
@@michaeloftaoism Love Synecdoche. Didn't like this. The idea of it is great...the execution just gets worse and worse.
The outdoors theater dream sequence might have been too long but damn it was visually superb
I both appreciate and have a high tolerance for the interminably weird. I have not been to a theater in years, and plan on seeing "Beau is Afraid" just to witness people's reactions.
If Dan is confused by this one, I'll be completely lost.
If Dan likes a movie, it does not mean I will like it. But if he doesn't like a movie, I know I won't either.
I was lost watching the trailer.
Beau is Afraid is for Anxious people as Melancholia is for depressive people
YES
Melancholia is in part also about anxiety, but I see your point.
@@TheMikenanners Yes!! Because Anxiety it’s a depression trigger; but I think you do see what I’m trying to say
@@coreartalex6708 I was more referring to the fact that the Charlotte Gainsbourg character in Melancholia suffering from anxiety is basically the other main character, and meant to highlight the differences between anxiety and depression alongside Kirsten Dunst’s depressed character.
@@TheMikenanners Ooh now that you make that point … I see where your mind is and I agree with you
If you have loved ones in your family and/or friends who struggle with extreme anxiety and intrusive thoughts, you should watch this movie, it's a perfect window into how we spiral into our own imagination of absurd consequences for mundane actions.
I appreciate you using one of the lines from the movie at 6:30. "both of these feelings can co-exist"
when i saw it, the audience's 'energy loss' felt more like intrigue/entertainment moving toward this quiet reverence for how wildly bold and, at times, downright terrifying it became
Hey Dan, I don’t comment here very often… but you are a great movie critic. It always impresses me how you tackle films like this in such a clear, objective and interesting way.
Thank you very much!
Ha, what a way to be dramatic and get his attention so you can promote your channel.
Nice job!
@@youtubedj9298 Why would I want to promote my channel, which is entirely spoken in portuguese, to someone who doesn't even speak the language (to my knowledge)? It was just a compliment.
@@gustavogirottothat's a good point, especially since you wrote this comment in English instead of Portuguese.
Almost as if most people around the world speak English as a second language.
Saw this today, love that the audience was split between people laughing truly enjoying it, and people walking out. Those of us who remained til the end also either just sat there in silence while others left cursing or just in disbelief, it was a brilliant film
Guarantee you that this movie won't do well financially, but will have people complaining about how Hollywood lacks originality even though movies like this exist for people to watch.
I feel like every stylistically distinct film director gets to a point where they need to be edited.
For me, Tenet was the film of Chris Nolas where is said yep, maybe too indulgently Nolan.
The French Dispatch is where Wes Anderson reached the tipping point.
M Nights career is littered with movies where its would have been advisable to scale back on the M night tendacies.
And so on.. and its entirely possible that this is the Ari Aster movie where we say yep, he may need to dial it back down a few notches.
I completely agree about French Dispatch
@@elizabethswan5850 ye that movie didn't do it for me. Asteroid city looks amazing tho
@@aarongutierrez7705 the animated sequence was amazing though - Wes should do more animation / stop motion
This is spot on. The only difference being Anderson and Nolan had a much deeper filmography and had almost earned the right to be that indulgent. Aster is a novice filmmaker relative to those two.
nope, death proof, also suffer from this
I think what some people don't like about this film are it's most raw and very intentional aspects. I found it exhausting by the end as well, but so is anxiety. This film is a stunningly exact portrait of anxious daydreams or restless nights of sleep.
Overlong, leaps in logic, no sequiturs of thought taken to their logical and dramatic extremes in between completely separate thoughts, overblown snd emotionally explosive, and just deeply discomforting.
This film is a view into what it is like to live with a brain working on overdrive and even if it isn't perfect i appreciate the things that don't click for that reason, everything in it has purpose.
This movie summarizes A24 movies in general for me - very unique, not my thing, happy it was able to be made
I love a24, mostly cause it feels like, unlike Disney, a studio is actually willing to give its directors creative liberty
Dan's got the same face on the thumbnail that I have watching the trailers lol
Just seeing the look on your face in the thumbnail made me have to watch this review and, wow, you hit all the key points of how I felt when I saw it (although I missed seeing it in IMAX and am kind of sad about that). I was all in for that first act and the world-building of Beau's neighborhood was great. And the stay with Amy Ryan and Nathan Lane was really intriguing, as well. I also loved the initial start of the sequence in the woods and the start of the animated dream sequence, but then that just started to drag and little by little I was more confused and also less interested. I totally agree that the filmmaking was fantastic, especially the cinematography, but also set design, and Joaquin's performance was great (as was the rest of the cast). But the script definitely seemed unfocused and I really ended up feeling every minute of that run time, and your comparison with "Babylon" was pretty perfect. About three decades ago when I went to see David Cronenberg's film version of "Naked Lunch" I'll never forget at the end of the final scene when the screen cut to black followed by the 'Directed by David Cronenberg' title, a guy seated a few rows ahead of me just yelled "WHAT!?". At the end of "Beau is Afraid", while there's no cut to black, the director credit coming up over that final shot prompted the guy seated right in front of me to just throw up his hands in a similar silent gesture. I both want to watch this film again and also never want to waste another three hours. But, props to Ari for creating his vision, even if he really did need someone to perhaps guide him to a more cohesive, but no less artisticly expressed, story.
Lol, were you in my screening Dan? At the Amc Burbank? Because you straight up described the exact experience I had at my screening
That's where I saw it, so I very well may have been!
Ha!
This sounds like how people reviewed and described Darren Aronofsky’s Mother! …a movie I wanted to like, but ultimately just thought it was really weird for weird’s sake.
Great review, Dan!
I really enjoyed the film because so many of the themes and scenarios in the film have a direct correlation to MY therapy.
If I didn't have my personal, and a lot of it recent, life experience I would have been left utterly bewildered by the ending of the film.
I'm just glad art like this exists.
I actually saw this last Friday at Lincoln Square's IMAX and I was not only stunned but surprised by the audaciousness of the whole film. It truly was quite unique, surprisingly dark with its comedy and horror elements have a tinge of awkward yet surreal nature to it that feeds into the overall narrative of a man dealing with grief, anxiety, and fear over just simply visiting his mother. This was clearly going to be a divisive one (as was the case with his other works), and it feels like a cult classic in the making for what it accomplishes and stumbles upon its execution of said themes and the film overall.
completely agree 100%!👌
Love your statement/thesis on film criticism. We're all humans with our own lived experiences. No one person can see the whole shape, but as we discuss, we can get closer to seeingbthe full picture.
Always love ya, Dan. Keep being wonderful.
"The desire to succeed will never be as powerful as having the guts to fail." - Dwayne Johnson
RIP the rock. he was a good man
Definitely enjoyed this film but absolutely will test people's patience, frustrate people, and probably exhaust them. I love that a movie like this even got made and whether or not it will sit on a higher rung for my favourite films is yet to be decided, there's a lot to digest in it, I think for sure it is without a doubt one of the most memorable movies I will remember down the line.
It really is a surrealist nightmarish run-on sentence of a movie for better and for worse and I'm probably someone who is going to sit more nicely with some of the more alienating parts of the film. But people really should not be so angry at people who did not like it because this genuinely will be a movie that will be very fun to discuss no matter what you thought of it.
I very much agree with the idea of respect and not liking something though. Felt the same way for Avatar's sequel. Did not click for me personally but there's a craft there, the hundreds of artist who continue to expand that world and fully realize it, and the ability for Cameron to weave those aspects together into a blockbuster film is commendable. Him and the people who worked on that movie are very talented.
Is it a Barton Fink/Brazil type film?
Hey, I was wondering when you're planning to do your top 10 summer predictions.
I'm curious how I will respond to Beau is Afraid. I loved Hereditary but found Midsommar too disturbing (although one day I plan to give it another viewing to see if I respond differently). I also love so many of the roles Joaquin Phoenix choses.
I'm definitely going to see it because I work with the people who did the makeup effects and I want to see how it all worked out
You'll love what your friends did. I saw it last night and it's a roller coaster, no middle ground.
Please tell them what an AMAZING job they did! Seriously fantastic work!
Im gonna see it because my friends dad was in the crew
Hey Dan!
Do you think Beau is Afraid is on the same wavelength as Under the Silver Lake?
What was your take on Kaufman's Synecdoche, New York?
I think there's a lot pressure on "auteur" filmmakers to be the next Scorsese, Lynch, Tarantino.
People like Peele, Chazelle, and Aster get gassed by early success like Get Out, Whiplash, and Hereditary; string together competent follow ups; and are gifted spectacle budget productions which allow them to deliver an unmolested vision.
Phase three is where the talent is supposed to deliver either commercial success or tremendous prestige.
Unfortunately for this recent trio, execution did not match neither ambition nor budget.
In a lot of cases you can see where filmmakers fell for the trap of believing their own hype. It's likely because everything is about curated images in Hollywood.
In any case, it's not the end of their careers, but it is the beginning of new expectations.
Nope is not even A tier Shyamalan. But like Babylon there are some good scenes.
Heavy disagree on Nope, a genuine blockbuster
The animated sequence DOES play a part in the story. This is about a man whose greatest crime is passivity. The play shows him the life he could have had. In many ways it’s Glinda the good witch telling him he possesses the power to get home… The tests he faces challenge him to use his mind, his heart and courage.
Yea, its weird that someone would think it had nothing to do with the movie. Its probably the most impactful part
I think he just doesn't used to surrealist experimental type of film. I don't think he even enjoy Synecdoche, New York lol which Beau is afraid heavily inspired by
@@pp1942 then he has no business doing "film analysis"
So his life was gonna wind up being losing a wife and 3 kids on a miserable life long journey to find them? How dumb
@@UNKOWN_911 its worth mentioning that people that dont understand what the only objective purpose in life is (reproduction), will not understand this movie because the movie assumes you are not an NPC.
*ERROR LOG: "Cannot find reference 'life.purpose'. Running fallback script"
NPC: "It is dumb to have purpose. It is dumb to spend your life searching for your lost children. You can eat pizza, drink local brews, play video games and masturbate to tik-tok instead."
Same experience in my theater and personally you could feel yourself settling into the movie and it becoming more
Endurance towards the middle then it picked up again and ended strong
This is the best non-spoiler review for this movie. It’s so weird, it’s nearly impossible to explain.
Glad I'm not the only one, my buddy was so hyped for this...he apologized to me afterwards.
This passed me off; the runtime was fine, I don't mind 3hr films, but man this should have been edited different.
And only 3 movies in? Yeah Ari Aster has too many yes men around him.
Could have been an amazing film but wound up being a whole handful of nothing.
yup, it's sad because you can see the potential in the movie, incredible acting, amazing camera work, the rest was disappointing however
I had no idea what the hell this was from the marketing and was curious but it sounds like Aster and A24 took this way too far...whatever it is.
I wonder if he’ll be another M Night. Strong beginning, but a very sharp decline
Called it. I kept telling people the biggest hurtle for this movie is people trying to figure out what kind of movie this even is.
How would you compare your experience of this film to Charlie Kaufman’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things? I said the same exact thing after seeing that re: feeling like no one was there to tell the director no, and it sounds like this was frustrating for all the same reasons?
This felt a bit like a less effective version of that. In fact, a couple parts felt like aster trying to do Kaufman but without that existential ping that makes it resonate so well
It's interesting that even the negative reviews for this one have made me more excited to see it. I just wish it was playing locally. I don't know of I'll have time to go out of town during its run.
I completely agree about someone being involved to keep a director's ambitions tempered. Film is at its best when it's s a collaboration.
I agree the first third of the movie was my favorite. Basically this time near his apartment
Great Stuff, Dan. I’ve got tickets for Friday. Yeah, the runtime had me a little worried as it feels like a big commitment. Aster’s films definitely make me feel something. Whether it’s discomfort, terror, or laughing at the macabre, his films are always super memorable, whether I like them or not. I just saw SISU on Monday. It was brilliant so add it to your list. I just put up a review of it today. Have a good one Brotha! I really appreciate your perspective and the way you articulate things about films. Cheers.
This was almost word for word what I said after I left. Kinda freaked me out a bit if I’m being honest. A wonderful analysis that goes beyond the film. Fantastic job Dan
His 15 minute review is almost word for word?
So he copied you?
This move rules, I believe it's an easier watch when at home so u can pause to smoke, bathroom, or rewind in case u missed something
I enjoyed both Midsommar and Hereditary. Definitely planning on seeing Beau is Afraid.
My favourite movie of the year by far. The first half is probably the best though. I liked the entire movie, but i absolutely loved the apartment and weird nuclear family portion.
As always: great work, love the channel.
Just saw it, and I thought it was a career best! I thought it made profound sense, but that also concerns me a little bit. It was like Charlie Kaufman made a Sigmund Freud fever dream; birth, death, sex, maternal betrayal, Freddy Quell meets Oedipus (who is kind of like Commodus).
I respect your take though, at times it did feel almost intentionally and distastefully elusive, crude and disjointed. It did not feel like a movie that was trying to get its audience to enjoy it. But whatever else it is, Beau Is Afraid is compelling, powerful, and affecting cinema.
I appreciate the nuance that you bring to every review, and this one is no exception. Thanks Dan! I already expected this film wouldn’t be for me because I have a large aversion to disturbing horror imagery and Ari Aster being who he is, we’d probably see that here too.
With Bardo, Babylon, and now Beau Is Afraid, it feels like maximalism is the in thing in cinema right now. But it doesn't seem to be vibing with audiences.
Great point about analysis Dan!
I can’t wait for your evil dead rise review, Dan. When will it be out if you don’t mind me asking?
Friday morning!
Saw it. Kept reminding me of Eraserhead.
Film criticism is analysis, it's not debate"
coming from the movie fights GOAT
Doing a double feature of Beau is Afraid and Evil Dead Rise tomorrow!
I am still thinking if it is worth my effort to take a bus to another city’s cinema. 😅
Really loved your channel, just found it. Hugs from Brasil. 🇧🇷💚💛
During this review, I started to think about how much your comments could apply to David Lynch's "Inland Empire" (one of my Top 10 movies) & then later you referenced Lynch yourself! All in all, "Beau is Afraid" sounds like it could be right up my alley, thanks!
Okay, I have some thoughts, and I haven't seen it yet (current plan is to see it on Monday):
#1- I'm incredibly frustrated by early reviews. A lot of critics (I'm pretty sure you never said this, Dan) very rapidly declared after casting and the announcement of the movie (which was originally titled "Disappointment Blvd." at that point) that it was going to be Ari Asters Citizen Kane. I hated that reaction because that's a lot of pressure on him, plus if he didn't deliver, critics would rip it to shreds, which they did and have this far. Having said that, you gave a very balanced review, Dan, and I greatly appreciate it.
#2- If nothing else, I'm glad that Ari Aster and A24 took chances and continue to produce original works. We're in a sea of remakes, sequels, and reboots, so original ideas mean a lot to me.
#3- I immediately shuddered when you compared this to Babylon, which I really didn't like. I'm now concerned, but I'm still committed to seeing it.
End.
It's a very particular movie and if you're invested in it you're gonna love it, if you're not then you will find it pretentious, boring, sluggish and self indulgent. I definitely see why people think the later and that's okay, their opinion is valid, yet I feel like some people are trying to pin it as "objectively bad". I watched it today and thought none of those things. It's a gorgeously shot and dressed, very well acted and incredibly weird movie driven by anxiety and a very strange comedic tone that I absolutely loved. I don't care how over the top or self indulgent it is - it is a piece of entertainment and it thoroughly entertained me! I don't think you should be too concerned by the Babylon thing, it's a weird comparison.
I think more people should focus on what you say in your 2nd point - it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if it's original and at least a few people genuinely enjoy it, that should be celebrated more!
Just subscribed because I enjoyed your commentary. You’re direct and to the point and easy to listen to! Beau is Afraid was wild but I liked it!
I'm a massive fan of Hereditary and Midsommar, but nothing about Beau has appealed to me so far. I think I'll wait to stream this one
I had just seen the restored Orsen Wells' The Trial and it reminded me of that a lot.
I was fearing a messy blank check movie. It felt like a directors cut. Hopefully one day we get a studio cut and it's a two hour edit that refines this glorious monstrosity. Maybe if it was a mini series the disjointed nature would play better.
The silence at the end of the movie was awkward, to say the least. A couple had left the theater right after Beau chokes his mom. My husband and I waited until the end of the credits to see if there was an explanation, like a post-credit scene, but there wasn't. We watched it two days ago and we still can't feel like we got everything right. It was bizarre and I liked it, but I don't know if I'd watch it again. Maybe in a couple of months and perhaps then I can catch more details.
After watching it finally, I honestly came out satisfied, but not. It was very uncomfortable but it made you seethe in those situations. I really don't know how to feel about it. I feel his other major releases were more coherent, but this is out there man.
The only movies I consider as bad are those that don’t make me feel anything. I can confidently say this movie made me feel. That feeling was anxiety and fear just like beau. I don’t know if I liked this or not but I know that I want to talk about with others just to see if they picked up on things I hadn’t. It was truly a fascinating film and I agree with you it’s definitely a film to talk about and analyze and discuss. I absolutely love that because very few films make me feel that way and it’s nice to have that feeling again. Love your videos!
I agree with your first sentence and that's why I just didn't like this movie. I wanted it to make me feel anxious or to make me laugh or to make me upset in some way or literally anything but by that third hour I was just completely uninvolved - very conscious of just sitting there in the dark room waiting for it to end. That's why a lot of this talk of it being a divisive movie is misleading to me. It's not like I was sitting there in stunned silence afterwards, the effect of the film was just less and less as it went on to the point where when it ended I was just like well I guess that's done.
@@jamessiewert3561 interesting. Was it just the story overall? Because I agree with you the last act was tough to get there I was just over it and annoyed but you felt that way the entire movie? Beau’s anxiety and the environment he was in didn’t make you feel anything? I’m actually really interested in you experience so thanks for sharing
@@sharlettr4368 really what sealed the deal was the amount of lecturing that the film did in the last 40 minutes. I don't mind when characters are very aggressive and direct about their feelings in a way that is didactic - maybe Aster thought he was making Autumn Sonata. But the writing has to be good and it just wasn't. I didn't really feel like the character that were doing the lecturing were responding to the other characters in the scene so much as exposition dumping for the audience.
And the movie just lost all of its imagination - the thing that beau encounters in the attic felt like a first draft: so blindingly obvious in it's symbolic and visual presentation that there's nothing to engage my curiosity. Like it's just so boring looking, it feels a placeholder for a more interesting idea
And then he comes down and has to say this line "that was Dad?!" Which again feels like lazy writing - dialog who's expositional purpose is just to fill the audience in, not plausible as communication between characters.
There were shades of this didactism in the animated section which was beautiful but includes this voiceover narration that just literally tells you everything that's happening on screen for 10 minutes, and it feels redundant and it's just hammering you with piles of information, rather than allowing the viewer to soak in the experience.
Parker Posey's character also was just implausibly written, and I understand it was meant to be a wish-fulfillment thing but it just didn't have emotional impact one way or the other. Just too bad because she's playing the older version of a character that I liked and was interested in that storyline.
I will say I thought that the very last scene was cool and lived up to the promise of the first hour 15 minutes. But it comes after an hour that I was basically tapped out for so it wasn't enough to rescue the experience for me.
The Orson Welles adaptation of The Trial or Synecdoche New York just seemed like more successful explorations a lot of the same ideas.
Is this like the movie equivalent to the book Infinite Jest?
i’m getting a SOUTHLAND TALES crazy-type vibe from this movie. is that accurate?
*HUGE SPOILERS***
I will say I love the beginning, the middle was very long and I can see people really not enjoying it, but I was completely won back over with the ending through the scenes with his mother. Hit very close to home is certain aspects so i am biased there
sheesh you killed this review super fair and all facts.
I don't know if it's a great movie or even good, but I think everyone should watch it at least once, because if one thing's for sure, it's not forgettable.
How much of your frustration is mostly about the ending?
For some reason when I see random out of context clips of this I'm reminded of Bunny and the Bull.
That's enough for me to give it a chance.
Just when you think you've seen everything
I loved Babylon, so I will definitly watch this one.
That was a really thoughtful Assessment, thank you.
Yeah but Babylon was kind of a masterwork, so maybe I’ll like this movie.
FACTS
Both films are excellent!
Nah had an amazing first hour but became dumb afterwards
Personally I think this film is supposed to get the audience exhausted given it’s from Beau’s perspective and that’s why I don’t think the runtime is an issue
It sort of feels like what happened in publishing has happened in film. It's been made next to impossible to get your foot in the door, but once you do, nobody is there to say "no" or push back. It's why all of a sudden every genre novel was 500+ pages long, even though they often only had 200 pages of story. And now, movies all seem to be two and a half or three hours, even though they really shouldn't be. Sometimes it's the limitations and the fight against the people saying "no" that help forge better films.
I started off liking it and loved certain parts but i feel like I lost the thread somrwhere and tuned out
I don't think this movie is for me. I couldn't finish The King's Speech, because I got severe stage fright by proxy. Beau sounds like just the kind of abstract movie I would love, but it also sounds like an anxiety attack in the making.
Great review Dan! Thanks. Are you going to do a spoiler review down the road?
Can you do a spoiler review of this? I finally saw it last night and have…so many thoughts. Would love to hear more from you about it!!
Talking movies is analysis not debate. love this quote
I was saying to myself sounds like Ari Aster's Babylon then you made the comparison 😂
Hi Dan, I am wondering if you will be doing a Season 3 review of the Mandalorian? Given it has been a very polarising season , I would love to her your thoughts!
This is possibly the worse movie of this year. and it also confirms something else. Midsommer sucked too.
I think your point about film criticism somewhere around 6:30 or so is excellent. No one is going to come up with the "definitive" answer to what this movie is "about" or what it "means". But the discussion about those things is what excites me to talk to people who have seen it and are willing to talk about more than their perceived flaws of this film.
I love how bad it makes you feel at the end and how ballsy it was the whole time. Definitely going down as one of my favorites
"Almost Famous" cost 60 mil back in the day, which probably makes it the most expensive therapy session (if you listen to the DC commentary also by Cameron Crowe's own account) to date.
I gotta disagree, I don't think we should be interfering with directors in their art. Someone like Ari aster and Aronofsky need to be let 100 percent free to do what their vision sees.
I loved the movie and I saw it in imax. What an experience since the first frame
I’m gonna wait to rent this at home so I can watch this movie at my own pace and take breaks from it as needed lmao
Can we aknowledge that we spent 3hours on a film about a man getting home to see his mom? That’s originality and a good story. What maybe a flaw in my opinion is Beau’s character, we only see him in the light of fear and confusion only reacting to the things around him, I get that it’s who he is, but I wish there were more lines like the ones he had in the 4th act of the movie. It was a good experience!
Spoiler alert so I’m hiding this:
I say a review that said “that’s an odd way to say your dad is a huge dick” and that kinda changed the outlook for me.
Babylon wasn’t for me but I think directors should explore everything they want to, It gives them the opportunity to learn from it and naturally progress to the next film they were always supposed to make (hopefully a less confusing one).
As critics at least we shouldn’t encourage the executive to be more involved.
The beginning was amazing; the house section should have been great, Lane and Ryan were brilliant, but the Toni character ruined this section; the play ruined the pace of the film and felt hollow; and Elaine's adult scenes wound up pointless.
And the 'mom berating son' scene? Yeah Aster already did that (much cleaner) in Hereditary; and that attic scene? Was dumber than it was shocking.
When Aster's name showed up on screen during that wannabe Black Swan credits sequence I exhaled a very necessary "oh f#$% you!"
It sounds painfully self indulgent. All due respect to Aster, I don’t think he has enough credit in the bank to just do whatever he wants to do, audience be damned. He’s made one great film and one okay film that doesn’t hold up to rewatches and then he’s given a blank cheque…
Thanks for your review!💜
Would really enjoy it more if reviewers would put how and where to watch these films in the description.
I haven't seen movies like this in decades. It is David Lynch-esque. 20 years ago we had movies like Magnolia, The Game, Falling Down, Natural Born Killers that took chances and became cult classics. I WANT more movies like this, it will flop in the box office but it will definitely talked about as a cult classic in 20 years time. It will do good in dvd/blu-ray sales.
I will be watching it, with tempered expectations and an open mind.
Saw Renfield today, seeing Suzume tomorrow and Evil Dead Rise friday, then Beau is afraid on the weekend and perhaps Chevalier next week.