beau is afraid
[Courtesy of A24]

Joaquin Phoenix is living in a nightmare in the trailer for Ari Aster's 'Beau Is Afraid'

Director Ari Aster, the brainchild behind the mind-bending horror films Midsommar and Hereditary, has another film on the horizon with the fever dream hellscape that is Beau Is Afraid. Today, A24 revealed the first trailer for the rumored three-and-a-half-hour film, which is set for release on April 21 and stars Oscar-winner Joaquin Phoenix

Beau Is Afraid tells the story of Beau (Joaquin Phoenix), a reclusive middle-aged man with an abundance of emotional baggage who is set to embark on a cross-country trip to visit his mother. Unfortunately, things do not go as planned and Beau is struck by a car, and upon waking up, is met by the two people who hit him (Amy Ryan and Nathan Lane) and soon learns of their sinister motives. What then ensues is a psychedelic odyssey that spans multiple decades and timelines where Beau is faced with the enormous task of escaping captivity, while facing his anxieties and painful past head-on. 

The film’s official poster calls back the 2008 David Fincher-directed drama The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, as it shows Beau in various stages of life. As Phoenix is known for being a method actor, it seems like he’s up for the task of fully immersing himself in Beau and what’s sure to be his wild journey. Coming off starring in Mike Mill’s tender 2021 dramedy Cmon Cmon and winning an Oscar for the 2019 hit thriller Joker, it looks like the star is fully leaning into his “creepy-loner” phase, and we are totally here for it. 

Watch the trailer for Beau Is Afraid and check out the poster below.

beau is afraid poster