The review embargo for Ari Aster’s “Beau is Afraid” has been lifted and it’s kinda what I was expecting.
Either you love or hate Aster’s mommy issues epic. I’ll have my review running sometime this week.
It's got a 73% on Rotten Tomatoes (based on 30 reviews). Meanwhile, on Metacritic it has a 69. If you read some of these writeups, they’re all over the place. Variety’s Peter DeBruge even admits that he understands why this one didn’t play at any of the major film festivals.
Most of the reviews stem from New York critics who seem to have a real affinity for Aster’s style. I do wonder how regional critics will react to this one.
‘Beau’ will likely turn out to be a similar phenomenon to Darren Aronofsky’s “mother!” which was also a movie that some would qualify as “too much.” Both are preposterous statements in self-indulgence — hey, is that such a terrible thing? The difference is that Aster’s film is 3 hours.
The unhinged ‘Beau’ will test people’s patience, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I’d rather have more movies like this one playing in theaters than not. Give me a dozen Beaus over any Marvel extravaganza.
Aster is the writer-director behind “Hereditary” and “Midsommar.” He has a few projects percolating right now, including a Western starring Joaquin Phoenix. He also has a rumored film titled “Acting Class,” which might star Emma Stone.
“Beau is Afraid” earned an “R” rating for “Strong Violence and Graphic Nudity”. It opens in New York and Los Angeles on April 14, then everywhere on April 21.
I can confirm that Joel Coen’s “Jack of Spades” is based on Frances Frederica Montrésor’s 1901 novel “The Alien: A Story of Middle Age.” It’s a ghost story. A gothic mystery.