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Have you seen my keys, listener? In this episode of The Cinematic Schematic, we gather around the podcast table to unpack our experiences watching every worst-case scenario imaginable play out for nearly 3 hours straight in our review discussion of the feel-bad movie of the summer, Beau Is Afraid.
Ari Aster made a frighteningly memorable splash in horror with 2018’s Hereditary followed immediately by his riff on The Wicker Man, Midsommar, in 2019. After netting A24 two box office hits, the director takes his most audacious swing yet with Beau Is Afraid, a psychological dark comedy horror starring academy award winner Joaquin Phoenix.
The film follows a psychologically unwell man who takes an epic journey to visit his mother filled with grief, self-reflection, and personal discoveries. Martin Scorsese and film critics have praised it as a bold cinematic achievement. Is Beau Is Afraid really a modern classic?
To render a verdict on the film hosts Caleb Masters and Laron Chapman are rejoined by Oklahoma City city Councilperson and OCU film studies professor, James Cooper, and The Cinematropolis contributor, Daniel Bokemper.
Has Aster crafted a masterpiece layered with meaning, or has the acclaimed filmmaker overindulged to the point of becoming pastiche?
Listen to our full spoiler-free review discussion followed by a spoiler-filled analysis to find out!
Special Guests
James Cooper
Oklahoma City Councilperson, OCU English and Modern Languages Artist in Residence, film studies professor (OFCC)
Follow James @jamesforokc on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
For Ward 2 matters, James can be contacted at ward2@okc.gov
Daniel Bokemper
Contributor at The Cinematropolis
Follow Daniel on Twitter @Daniel_Bokemper
Read Daniel’s analysis of Ari Aster’s career in the recent essay, “How Ari Aster Directs the Dance of Life and Death“
About Beau Is Afraid
According to IMDB, Beau Is Afraid is:
Following the sudden death of his mother, a mild-mannered but anxiety-ridden man confronts his darkest fears as he embarks on an epic, Kafkaesque odyssey back home.
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