Beau Is Afraid (2023) Is The Worst Movie I've Seen This Year...So Far - A Review 

This sounds like another pretentious epic fail from Ari Aster and A24. And an absolutely pointless exercise in subtext with zero arc or genuine narrative to speak of.

Ari Arster was clearly stroking himself throughout production and forgot he was making a movie.

I saw this movie walking out thinking "this should be a fun review".

I don't think I'll watch this film anytime soon.

I am dying to see this movie just based on all the criticism and opinions out there for this flick. Not going to be trapped in a theater for 3 hours tho. No, thank you.

I was so excited for this film for the longest time. I loved Hereditary and Midsommar, too. But I kinda agree with you on most points with Beau is Afraid. "Getting it" isn't a requirement for being engaged/moved by a film. Donnie Darko was weird and I didn't really get it, but I liked that one. I feel the same way about Mulholland Drive. Great film, but still over my head in some ways. So I didn't need to "get" Beau is Afraid in order to be engaged by it. Trouble is, I wasn't even engaged. At least not all the way through. I was REALLY excited until he got hit by the truck. The film had a vibe that I thought was intriguing and going somewhere, and I found parts of it to be funny (not in a laugh out loud kinda way, but certainly a chuckle here and there). But once he was recuperating in the bed, it truly became a different film. And then it became another film during the forest play motif. And it became ANOTHER film at the end. It was horribly disjointed...or at least too disjointed for my capacity to stay engaged. I think Ari Aster is going through what Jordan Peele is kinda going through these days, too. Both of these directors had such strong debuts...like super strong. And their 2nd films were also strong, but not as strong as their first. But I feel like both Jordan and Ari got a little cocky for their respective third films. Like you suggested, they like the smell of their own farts. I feel the same way about Beau is Afraid as I do about Nope. While I liked Nope a TAD better, they were both very bloated films with subtext and layers that did nothing to bring anything together. They both had different vignettes within vignettes that just felt like the directors were stroking themselves while fantasizing about how deep and symbolic they could be (it was insane to me how many people went nuts over the shoe standing on its end in Nope). Both movies had promising stories, actors, sets and settings. But because of who was directing them, we got these HUGE complicated epic messes. Again, I think Nope was better. But it still had some of the same shortcomings that Beau does, in my view. Lastly, I think had Beau is Afraid been made 20 years ago, or even more, it may have landed very differently for many viewers. Yes, it would have still been bloated and all the things I have already said...BUT one thing that would have been different is the audience. Perhaps we'd be more receptive to a film like this had it revealed itself in 2003 rather than 2023. I dunno why I think this. It's just a gut feeling I have. Like, maybe we have all seen so much tiresome drama cringe artsy fartsy bullshit these last decades that we're just fed up with it. Maybe THAT's why Beau is Afraid hasn't gotten a better reception. I feel like it would have been way more celebrated long ago. Anyway, I am rambling. Thanks for reviewing this film and for your candor and honesty!!!!!

I think you might be taking the whole "it's not supposed to make sense" thing to literally. Yes, the internal logic of the movie is crazy and takes some time to adjust to, but once you accept that you're inside the mind of someone with crippling psychosis, everything that follows is still logically consistent. As Beau spirals downward into insanity he imagines that the world is more deadly and threatening that it actually is, which explains the cartoony violence in his neighborhood, the unbridled rage of Geeves, and the constant surveillance he is subjected to at the hands of his mother. Through flashbacks it is established that he is also sexually repressed, which explains why his anxiety manifests itself as a giant penis monster. Lastly, I thought the "final judgment" scene worked as a decent analogy for the guilt and shame Beau has been wrestling with his whole life. His lawyer's inability to defend him against his mother's accusations illustrated that regardless of Beau's actions and choices, his guilt was already predetermined by some higher power (in this case his mother), rendering him incapable of living under the weight of his emotions. I would also add that character-arc doesn't necessarily mean the character overcomes the conflict they are faced with. In this movie Beau's arc is one that follows a continuous downward trajectory, but that isn't the same thing as a character lacking development. Anyway shout out to anyone who actually read this, I'll probably delete it soon.

I loved this movie, but I get it. It's a very weird film.

I think Skinamarink, was what you would call a bandwagon film. A few “influencers” (are paid to) like the film, and they want to join the COOL KIDS. It’s intensely boring, and not frightening in the least. Beau is Afraid, is the kind of film that a filmmaker makes, WELL into, and on the downside of their career, NOT film number 3. Don’t even get me started on the THREE-HOUR RUNTIME, as it’s ludicrous. In my theater, people were walking out, and I wished i could have joined them. The problem was, my girlfriend doesn’t like abandoning films, prematurely. That’s the second film I wanted to walk out on, with the other being The Outwaters….

Shit like this is why I want the studio to fire these writers on strike.

I remember ask Jeeves, I remember that back in the day. If I do end up watching this film and it ends up being really bad then the ask Jeeves would then easily be the best thing in the film because ask Jeeves was actually a Good service 🙂

Great video buddy! What are your thoughts on Freddy Got Fingered?

A24 strikes again. MAKE IT STOP

I honestly thought this was more of a dramatic film at first when I heard about it, but this does sound horrible.

I agree, but the worst film I've seen so far has to be Inside (2023) starring William Dafoe! Wow, that was awful, I felt like I was losing my mind watching it.

Awesome new film review, Matt. of a film, I will never watch. thank you. :)

This movie sounds absolutely awful, and I've also heard from people who were actually BIG fans of Ari Aster's earlier stuff didn't even like this which says something considering how much I hated Hereditary. I didn't mind Midsommer for what it was, but that movie was a pure unintentional comedy with some really nice cinematography. I like Joaquin Phoenix, but he's always had a tendency to do artsy, pretentious stuff like this over the years, so I'm not surprised that he did agree to do this, but at least he had Joker which was one of his best performances ever. Ari Aster is easily one of the most overrated directors working today though. I'm avoiding this crap just like Skinamarink.

This director sounds like he's high on his own supply artsy film maker who gets the pass from all the film critics if people love this man's films? Fine so be it to each it's own Joaquin Phoenix is a actor who deserves to be in way better films/roles but that's just me. Excellent job on the review bro as always👍👍

Pretentious is the only word I was expecting, I could see that coming without watching the review

I didn't buy his other 2 films being so great they were both above average to me nothing special ... But when I watched this movie it took me almost 10 hours ..I've seen almost every main stream film ever made and it was one of the worst stupid films ever

I haven't seen it. I won't see it. I knew by the title it would be narcistic and pretentious.

I think a lot of people hated this because his name was attached and it wasn’t horror

I recall when this was called dissapointment blvrd and was said to be 4 hours. It is said to be a horror comedy but from my own experience from aris movies midsommar and hereditary, the humor is unintentional. Idk how funny he will be trying to be funny.

Some weirdo: I was at the theater and everybody laughed. Matt: At what? 😆

I really liked this movie, had a great experience watching it in theaters. It’s absurd, very divisive though. Still liked your rant haha. I busted out laughing at “Ask Jeeves why this movie is 3 hours long!” I knew that was coming as soon as you mentioned the guy’s name. 😂

One of my favourite movies of this year

I left the theater at the 30 minute mark and finished it online it's total garbage midsommar was 2 and a half stars and hereditary was a overrated pos

I agree it was too long, but I think the whole idea is you’re not sure what’s actually happening and what scenes are going on in his head. I kind of compare it to Jacob’s ladder (which is a better movie) the whole decent into madness concept. You do have to give it credit for being original, it’s not a remake or a sequel or based on a novel of anything. Unfortunately, in today’s day and age of entertainment it’s rare for a studio to give a film like this a decent budget and it’s going to cost them a lot of money. I think we need to praise studios taking chances on original concepts even if we didn’t like the end result.

calling the cops would be worthless. his mother literally own the neighborhood, he would just be rewired to another of his mother spies. it would actually makes a pretty nice setup, that probably exists in the 4 HOURS CUT (thanks goodness we didn't get that one and i liked this film). also if I remember correctly he did call the building owner and he did nothing, again probably a spy.

It really made me laugh when Matt said, this stone cold bitch just needs a Stone cold Stunner, Lol 🙂 I'm still laughing, Lol 🙂 That just made my day 🙂

14:45 yeah that scene sucked, it sucked so bad.

This is the funniest video I've ever seen. Thanks for the laughs!

15:45 Edgar Wright style teenage writing, the worst teenage writing there is.

So honestly, in my opinion I really did like Hereditary and yes even Midsommar. Hell, I even own the director's cut of Midsommar. This movie however I kinda hated.

Lol@the Miss Cleo reference. Her Jamaican accent was faker than Kofi Kingston's 😄

Dude you made my night last night with this review! I didn't even bother with this movie considering who directed it. And the biggest red flag was when it was announced to be 3 hours long! I like Joaquin Phoenix as an actor (Walk the Line and Gladiator are both my favorite films of his) but this was one where I had to dodge the bullet.

As polarizing as it is. There is a lot to like about it. I'll agree it can be easily cut down 30 or 40 minutes but it was funny and just a wild ride that I had a lot of fun on, but it's not the best movie by any means

Agreed. Absolute shit. The first two were great.

I don't even know why A24 released this piece a shit in theaters, you cant tell me they saw the finished product and said "box office hit." I guess because Aster's first two movies did very well financially. This should have straight to Netflix

Not only is it shit, I don’t believe anyone actually likes it.

Matt, is Beau Is Afraid, Skinamarink and You People with Eddie Murphy your top 3 worst of 2023?

coming from someone who actually liked hereditary and midsommar, i thought this movie was absolute garbage. super pretentious, stupid, boring, overlong, mean spirited, and shits on mental health. i read the original 2014 draft and that absolutely sucked too. i saw this movie in theaters with 10 other people and not once did anyone laugh. the only time i laughed was when i saw how dumb the penis monster looked. i stand by skinamarink is worse because at least this movie had stuff happening and there was a plot whereas skinamarink is not a movie.

Joaquin Phoenix’s Bad Movies IMO that I Dislike are The Village, Walk The Line, Hostel Rwanda, The Yards, Beau Is Afraid, Her, U Turn, The Master, & Reservation Road

27:01

Hereditary was only good for like an hour before completely losing it's way

I thought this movie was funny. It reminded me of a Charlie Kaufman movie

i agree. this movie was totally pretentious and underwhelming

I Love Gladiator 2000, Signs, & Ladder 49 Those are my Favorites Of Joaquin Phoenix, I Like 8 Millimeter, We Own The Night, Joker, & Napoleon are Ok but a Those are my Least Favorites Of his IMO

I just watched this the movie was similar to the film Mother another art house flick but these flicks make the mistakes of trying to be artsy but while having no story. Art house movies work best when they have an interesting story onto of the artistic metaphors that way your interested in what is going on while also wanting to read into it. I will say the acting was good and for me I did laugh at some it there was some comedy in it that I felt like I noticed and it did make me laugh but it wasn't a laugh out riot. Overall to long drags at the end and the cgi in the climax is hit or miss I give it 1 star I liked Hereditary didn't love it but I did like it as for Midsommar it was well shot and directed and acted but ultimately was just a female driven repeat of the Wicker Man another basic cult flick I have seen a thousand times over.

This movie made no sense

Ah ha no longer your worst

Great Movie Matt, This does sound like a Shitty movie Beau is Afraid, that’s too bad cause I really Like Joaquin Phoenix he’s a Good Actor not 1 of my Favorite actors but I like him

Saw it and it sucked

I thought Skinamarink is your worst of the year

This movie is the LOTR of horror movies, LMAO

Literally the best movie I have EVER seen.

Ari Aster SUCKS!! Hereditary is one of the most overrated movies. It's not even horror!!