Joaquin Phoenix Has Some Instructions For How To See Beau Is Afraid
"Beau is Afraid," the new feature film from Ari Aster, is an epic head trip into the surreal recesses of the mind's most anxious corners. It's the filmmaker's most ambitious outing to date, clocking in at three hours with a budget of $35 million, making it A24's most expensive production so far. Aster gained widespread recognition and praise with his horror films "Hereditary" and "Midsommar," but "Beau is Afraid" is a different experience altogether — one that the director has described as a "nightmare comedy." The film is getting an IMAX release in select theaters, which both Aster and star Joaquin Phoenix have unsurprisingly said is the best way to see it.
Aster is becoming known as a fast-rising cinematic auteur with his own rich, distinctive filmmaking style. Martin Scorsese ranks among his fans and has praised the director's strong grasp of "formal control" and pointed out the "technical artistry" in "Beau is Afraid." Aster's attention to detail is evident based on his previous work, which displays his tendency to create an unsettling framing by packing his scenes with background details. His films also have a notably haunting sound design, which often contrasts uncomfortable noises and loud drones with complete silence. These techniques are all on display in "Beau is Afraid," as well, which is exactly why IMAX is the best way to take in all the intentionally overwhelming elements.
Squirming in my seat
Speaking to Fandango, Joaquin Phoenix emphasized that IMAX is definitely "the way to f**king see it!" He explained why:
"I was definitely squirming in my seat. First of all, I'm just laughing about the entire f**king movie. There's a couple of sequences where I'm just squirming — I mean, stuff that [Ari Aster] did with the sound design, it was really great. It's such a rich world, and there's so many details to see in it. It is a hundred percent a movie that you feel. There's so many rich, complex themes in this film, but it's such a visceral experience to watch it. Then you leave, and when that feeling subsides, you start thinking about it."
Ari Aster himself also expressed that the giant screen format is "the definitive way to watch the film" in an interview CBC News, explaining that he "took a lot of time [...] into burying a lot into the tapestry" and that the IMAX conversion felt like a new experience after "seeing the film hundreds and hundreds of time" in the editing room. He went on to say:
"Watching it in IMAX was the first time I was really able to see some of these details in the deep background and it kind of came to life for me again. [...] Seeing it in this format encourages the viewer to search the frame and see what you can find."
"Beau is Afraid" is an intentionally overwhelming, hallucinatory odyssey that some have called a "three-hour-long panic attack" in a very ironically affectionate manner. It only makes sense to see this type of maddening spectacle in the biggest and loudest place possible.
"Beau is Afraid" is now playing in theaters.