Beau Is Afraid

Beau Is Afraid is a 2023 American surrealist tragicomedy horror film written, directed, and co-produced by Ari Aster. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix as the title character, Beau Wassermann, and also includes a supporting ensemble cast consisting of Patti LuPone, Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan, Kylie Rogers, Parker Posey, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Hayley Squires, Michael Gandolfini, Zoe Lister-Jones, Armen Nahapetian, and Richard Kind. Its plot follows the mild-mannered but paranoia-ridden Beau as he embarks on a surreal odyssey to get home to attend his mother's funeral, realizing his greatest fears along the way. Distributed by A24, Beau Is Afraid premiered at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema on April 1, 2023, and began a limited theatrical release in the United States on April 14, 2023, before a wide release the following week. The film received generally positive reviews from critics but was a box-office bomb, grossing only $11 million. Plot Beau Wasserman is the son of a famous and wealthy businesswoman, Mona, who is responsible for building a large conglomerate empire. He grows up without a father, who his mother says died the night Beau was conceived due to a heart murmur caused by an orgasm. As a teenager on a cruise trip with his mother, Beau meets and falls in love with a girl named Elaine. The two kiss and promise to remain virgins until they meet again as adults. As an adult, Beau is extremely anxious and living alone in a crime-ridden city. He prepares for a flight to see his mother for the anniversary of his father's death, but misses his plane after his keys and luggage are stolen from his door. Beau calls his mother to explain the situation, but she dismisses him. After having been locked out by deranged homeless people for the night, he attempts to call his mother, only to have it answered by a UPS driver who tells him that she was decapitated in an accident, after a chandelier fell on her head. After violent confrontations with an intruder at home, then by a police officer and a murderer on the street, Beau is hit by a food truck.