This past July we learned that Ari Aster’s “Disappointment Blvd” was only going to be released next year. This is a film that even actors who worked on it can’t seem to properly describe.
What exactly has Ari Aster created here? I’m being told it’s about a man afraid of the people around him, especially his mom, who randomly punches homeless people and dreams about VERY ODD things (my source would rather I not divulge the specifics, but it’s wild).
The film sounds unique, dreamy, surreal and unexplainable. Oh, and it stars the ever-fascinating Joaquin Phoenix, an actor whose unpredictability, on and off the screen, has turned him into one of the most important actors of the 21st century.
I was told at Cannes that the film had a four-hour cut, but now I’m hearing it’s been trimmed down to a little less than three hours. The budget is said to have slightly risen to an estimated $60 million — it’s A24’s most expensive production ever.
Briefly, what we have is a black nightmarish comedy about a son, his mother and guilt. Phoenix’s character goes on a Kafka-esque Journey after learning of the death of his mother. During this tumultuous time, he learns of the unusual way his mother died, and makes an alarming discovery about his past. I’m hearing the film has supernatural elements to it as well.
Netflix and Skydance Animation have also called it quits. The two sides announced Monday that they're ending the animated film deal struck back in 2023, framing it as a mutual decision.