After scaring the living daylights out of us with Hereditary and Midsommar, Ari Aster appears to be taking a different approach to fright with his third film, Beau is Afraid.
The film stars Joaquin Phoenix as the titular Beau, a paranoid (and yes, afraid) man on an odyssey to visit his mother. Based on the trailer, his trip will involve getting hit by a car, being held captive, and journeying through 2D landscapes. Along the way, we see Beau throughout multiple stages of his life, including as an uncannily de-aged young man.
Do we know what any of it means? No, not really. However, the tone of the trailer seems incredibly far removed from those of Aster’s prior films — right down to the Supertramp needle drop — conjuring more of a comedic feel than a frightening one. Still, we can’t count out the scares just yet. A24’s official synopsis describes Beau is Afraid as “bold and ingeniously depraved,” so hold onto your hats.
Beau is Afraid hits theaters Apr. 21.
