A24 and Ari Aster go together like a fine wine and cheese. The acclaimed studio and director are practically synonymous with each other by now, collaborating for the incredibly-successful horror films Hereditary and Midsommar, which were released back-to-back in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Now, three years after Midsommar originally hit theaters, the two entities are proudly presenting their latest collaborative creation: Beau Is Afraid. Originally pitched as a nightmarish comedy, it’s a film that, for the longest time, has been drenched in secrecy.

Everything about Beau Is Afraid oozes something uniquely bizarre, whether it’s the experimental setup, the strange setting, or the involvement of alternate realities with oodles of creative visuals. It’s certainly an unconventional follow-up to Aster’s previous works, though it keeps in line with A24’s efforts to encourage creative storytelling. Thankfully, as we inch closer to the film’s release, we now have a decent idea of what to expect from this mind-bending nightmare flick.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

This is everything we know about Beau Is Afraid.

Beau Is Afraid: The Plot

The plot for Beau Is Afraid remains purposefully obscure. The closest thing to a synopsis can be summed up by Dread Central.

The trailer for Beau Is Afraid is… Intriguing, to say the least. To say that you’ll feel some emotional and tonal whiplash during its two-and-a-half-minute length is a complete understatement. We jump from a horror-tinged introduction to a light-hearted comedy, back to a terrifying kidnapping plot, then to a mind-bending trip through Beau’s imagination. The journey comes with wooden props and backgrounds, gunfire, frozen tundras, arid deserts, jumps between reality and fantasy, and an adventurous scope that dwarfs the rest of Ari Aster’s filmography so far. Based on the synopsis, it looks as though the “epic odyssey” Beau embarks on will likely be shaped by his paranoia, where the world he inhabits may or may not necessarily reflect reality. Instead, it’ll likely be his own perception of reality.

“A paranoid man embarks on an epic odyssey to get home to his mother in this bold and ingeniously depraved new film from writer/director Ari Aster.”

Other than the bright colors and cheery music that accompany it, Beau Is Afraid appears to utilize dark comedic elements. From a few isolated shots in the trailer, we can tell that Beau isn’t necessarily the most well-off. He takes prescription medications as he walks down a peculiar-looking street, all while a woman holds a sign declaring that she “will cut her own hands off.” Not even a full yard away from her, a man examines an assault rifle, almost comically pointing it directly at a baby stroller with his finger curled over the trigger. When Beau arrives at his home, he quickly makes a microwave meal and thumbs through his recent calls, with both his “Therapist” and “Phamily Phirst Pharmacy” near the top. Beau is likely living in a not-so-friendly area, which eventually leads him to be struck by a vehicle and ultimately led on his fantasy journey.

It’s difficult to discern whether the fantastical elements of Beau Is Afraid are ultimately real or all in Beau’s imagination. Regardless, it looks like it’ll take us on quite a colorful adventure.

Beau Is Afraid: The Cast

     A24

The eponymous lead role of Beau will be played primarily by two separate actors: Joaquin Phoenix will play Beau in three different stages of his adult life, while a younger, teenage Beau will be played by Armen Nahapetian. Phoenix should be immediately recognizable to most, having starred as Arthur Fleck in 2019’s Joker, with other lead roles in films like The Sisters Brothers, Her, and You Were Never Really Here. Nahapetian, conversely, is still a relatively new actor whose filmography is largely made up of brief television roles. You can find Nahapetian in Netflix’s Daybreak, The Orville, NCIS, and HBO’s Here and Now.

An ensemble cast working alongside both Phoenix and Nahapetian is also present. Amy Ryan, Richard Kind, Michael Gandolfini, Nathan Lane, Patti LuPone, Parker Posey, Kylie Rogers, and Hayley Squires are all expected to appear in Beau is Afraid, though not all of their specific roles have been revealed.

Release Date

Beau Is Afraid will release theatrically on April 21.

Everything Else We Know

Beau Is Afraid was originally announced as Disappointment Blvd, with the working title lasting all the way from 2020 to December 2022.

There is currently some speculation that Beau Is Afraid may be a full-length version of a previous film by Ari Aster. In 2011, Aster released a short film entitled Beau, and aside from sharing a similar title to Beau Is Afraid, they even share a similar premise. According to Looper, the original Beau short followed a character named Billy Mayo, whose life turns into an anxious mess after an attempt to visit his mother goes south. Whether Beau Is Afraid will expand on this concept further or do something completely different in comparison remains to be seen.