Joaquin Phoenix doesn't do things by halves, and neither does writer-director Ari Aster. When you pair the Oscar-winning star of Joker with the maker of the acclaimed A24 horrors Hereditary and Midsommar, you can expect fireworks. And that's exactly what Beau is Afraid is promising based on the brand new trailer (scroll down to view).
In his most ambitious work to date, Aster stages an epically surreal odyssey that walks the divide between dark comedy and outright terror. Phoenix plays the titular Beau, a lonely man who has forever lived in the shadow of his imperious mother (played by Broadway legend Patti LuPone).
When his mother dies, Beau must embark on a journey to get her funeral. This will involve an almighty amount of personal reckoning and bizarre encounters with strangers (played by the likes of Nathan Lane and Amy Ryan) who don't necessarily have Beau's best interests at heart. The narrative also flashes back to the younger Beau's life when his mother's pernicious influence first took hold, Norman Bates/Psycho stylie. Here's the new poster.
Beau is Afraid has continued Aster and Phoenix's run of critical plaudits. Tomris Laffly of The Wrap describes the movie as "an extraordinary and deliciously demented study of a tortured soul of clumped memories", further declaring it as a "stunning, unknowable and fearless opus".
Are you brave enough to travel with Beau this summer? Beau is Afraid is released on May 19th so check out the new trailer below for a taste as to what's in store.
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