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Reviews
Beau Is Afraid (2023)
Do NOT watch if you're struggling with anxiety disorder
Ari Aster's superfan here. I LOVED Hereditary and I still believe it's one of the greatest horror movies in history. Midsommer was a bit of a pastiche of Hereditary, but enjoyed it nonetheless. But I'm at loss of words with Beau. I don't even know what rating I should give.
So yeah, as you already know, this movie is nuts. I kinda knew it was but I wasn't prepared to experience what I sat through. The very same morning I went to the theater, I had talked with my therapist about the possibility of me having anxiety disorder. I've been on medication before and stopped, but I think I really need to go back, because I've started to experience panic attacks again. Being a fan of Aster I knew what I was putting myself through, and I thought, what the hell, let's watch this friggin film.
A panic attack feels exactly how this movie portrays it. And I had a full blown panic attack in the theater but I couldn't leave since I had brought some cousins with me. The first hour was enough to make me feel that way. And so I sat through this thing waiting for it to end.
So, this movie is brilliant because it manages to represent how mental illness FEELS, and for a movie to be able to do that is fascinating. But while I think is brilliant and shows the general audience how such states of mind play out for people with this disorder, I also feel like its a disservice to represent this condition in such a pessimistic, misanthropic and plainly cruel light.
While I know that this is a very subjective experience, I just needed to throw this out there: if you're struggling with anxiety, obsessions and phobias, stay away from this film until you're ready to take it; or just read the trigger warnings and come prepared.
There's a chance yo might feel represented, but there's also a chance you feel triggered and upset. Still, I plan to watch it and come up with a more objective rating once I work through my stuff (no mommy issues btw, just generalized anxiety! Lol). Cuz for a film to be able to do that, I must concede, it should be a masterpiece.