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Cinema is a collaborative art form, and over the years, we have had the chance to witness some of the most celebrated collaborations between actors and directors in films - from Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese to Tony Leung and Wong Kar-wai. Creators and Performers with similar sensibilities and tastes, often gravitate toward each other, and in turn, help bring out the best in each of them. When the news broke out following the success of Joker, that Joaquin Phoenix would play the lead In Ari Aster's next film, everyone agreed that it just made sense. Both great artists in their own right; the two of them have also shown us their willingness to go where other people would not dare to - to explore and experiment with even the darkest and most horrid parts of human existence through their art, which just makes it feel like a match made in heaven, with the intension to push the boundaries of cinema together.
Joaquin has had an incredible run these past couple of years - from playing the titular Batman foe in Todd Philip's Joker, which won him almost every major acting award including his first Academy Award, to delivering masterclass performances in indie darlings like C'mon C'mon, and You Were Never Really Here. Ari Aster, on the other hand, is one of the most promising rising voices in cinema today, who has made his name as an auteur with the highbrow horror films - Hereditary and Midsommar, which both received wide critical acclaim and a passionate cult following. Beau Is Afraid is Aster's third project with A24 and has been touted as a decades-spanning surrealist horror comedy. Read below to find out everything we know about the Joaquin Phoenix vehicle.
Editor's Note: This piece was updated on January 12 to include the latest trailer.
What is the Release Date of Beau Is Afraid?
Beau Is Afraid was initially rumored to release in 2022, but A24 pushed it back to 2023 at the beginning of 2022. The film is now set to release in theaters on April 21, 2023. The film will be opening against Warner Bros' Evil Dead Rising. While A24 gave Ari Aster's previous two films, Hereditary and Midsommar, wide-releases right-away, it is unknown if Beau Is Afraid will receive a wide-release right away or go for a limited release before expanding.
Is There a Trailer for Beau Is Afraid?
On January 10, 2023, A24 unveiled the official trailer for Beau is Afraid. The trailer teases a film that is noticeably less steeped in horror than Aster's last two outings. Set to the Supertramp classic "Goodbye Stranger," the 2 and a half minute spot is full of surrealist humor, trippy visuals, and of course Joaquin Phoenix being, well, afraid.
On December 13, 2022, A24 unveiled the first poster for Beau Is Afraid along with the title announcement, since the movie had been in development under the title "Disappointment Blvd." since its announcement. The poster features Joaquin Phoenix's name front and center, with an uncanny and unnerving image of what appears to be a weirdly de-aged face of Joaquin Phoenix. Phoenix has been spotted wearing the same housecoat from the poster in set photos that came out earlier this year, and the film is supposed to span several decades, so we might get to witness Phoenix play several different ages within the same movie. On January 5, 2023, another poster was released showing Phoenix's character at different ages.
What is Beau Is Afraid About?
While details of the plot for Beau Is Afraid are being kept tightly under wraps, the last thing we can expect from Ari Aster is a conventional plot. The writer-director is known for his unique style and for throwing curveballs at the audience constantly. Half of the fun in Aster's movies lies in going through the journey he takes you on without knowing anything about what's going to happen next, so it's best to go in blind without getting spoiled on any major reveals. But we have a few details about the premise for Beau Is Afraid and the trailer only raises more questions. It has been described as "an intimate, decades-spanning portrait of one of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time", with Aster calling it a "four-hour nightmare comedy." Though from the looks of the trailer it doesn't look like the central character is that successful. Phoenix plays Beau, an extremely anxious but pleasant-looking man who has a fraught relationship with his overbearing mother, so when she dies, he makes a journey home where he encounters some stressful supernatural threats, in addition to uncovering secrets from his own past. All we know is that Beau is off to visit his mother and gets hit by a car and then comes under the care of an eccentric couple.
Ari Aster previously directed a short film named Beau, about a man experiencing sinister and surreal events when he loses his keys on his way home to meet his mother. Though there has been no official word on it, it is very likely that Aster will revisit some of the same ideas in this film, given the similarity. So you can watch Ari Aster's Beau on YouTube in time before Beau Is Dead comes out in theaters.
Who Is in the Cast of Beau Is Afraid?
Headlined by Joaquin Phoenix, the film is a vehicle for the actor to flex his acting muscles and do what he does best - deliver an authentic and honest portrayal of extremely complex characters. Phoenix is one of the most well-regarded actors of this generation, known for committing to his roles completely and commanding the screen with immense grace. Phoenix was launched into stardom for his role in Ridley Scott's Gladiator, which also lead him to earn his first Academy Award nomination. Since then, he has graced the screen several times with some of the most heartfelt performances ever, in films of almost every genre and size, working with both the best directors working today and exciting new voices. He has also made a name for picking unconventional projects and going full method, to bring new horizons to the craft of film acting. The actor will be next seen in Joker: Folie A Deux and Ridley Scott's Napoleon.
Apart from Phoenix, the film also features an excellent supporting cast consisting of Nathan Lane (Only Murders in the Building), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Dune), Patti LuPone (American Horror Story), Amy Ryan (The Office), Kylie Rogers (Home Before Dark), Denis Ménochet (Inglourious Basterds), Haley Squires (The Essex Serpent), Michael Gandolfini (The Many Saints of Newark), Zoe Lister-Jones (Life in Pieces), Richard Kind (Inside Out), and Parker Posey (Dazed and Confused).
Who Is Making Beau Is Afraid?
Beau Is Afraid is Ari Aster's third feature film, both written and directed by him, and a followup to the success of Hereditary and Midsommar. The horror auteur made his name directing short films before he broke out into the scene with his debut feature, in A24's Hereditary. Fans of Ari Aster are looking forward to him bringing that same brilliance to his new film and delivering another horror classic. Joining him is cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski, who has worked with Aster in all his films so far. Also, Film Editor Lucian Johnston, who's edited both of Aster's feature films and Joel Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth, will return to edit this film.
When and Where Did Beau Is Afraid Film?
Production for Beau is Afraid commenced in late June 2021 with filming primarily taking place in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, located in Montreal in Quebec. Filming later wrapped the following October.