Ari Aster’s strange follow-up to Midsommar is getting a strange rollout

Ari Aster is an unusual director. His bizarre, popcorn-art horror films are very popular, not only because of their incredible art, but also because they have become so beloved. His previous films, both. Midsommar And The HereditaryThese are terrifying, haunting, and contemplative horror films about grief, trauma, and other emotions. They’re both funny, in their own twisted, dark ways. And they’ve both created a lasting footprint with teens and 20-somethings online, thanks to idiosyncratic marketing, intense shocks and imagery, and general meme-ability.

Now, production company A24 (which was behind both of Aster’s previous movies) is hoping to manufacture that same kind of enthusiasm for Aster’s newest, weirdest movie, Beau Is Afraid, by giving it an extremely odd release schedule that’s primarily designed to woo fans and take over social media.

Beau Is AfraidBeau (Joaquin Phoenix), a less normal man, becomes more anxious as he travels with his mother. He encounters many oddities along the journey, including an apocalyptic town, a travelling theater group, deranged kids, and Nathan Lane. Unlike Aster’s other two films, Beau Is Afraid is more obviously a comedy, though it’s passed through a filter of absurdist tragedy with a bit of horror mixed in for good measure.

Photo: Takashi Seida/A24

It’s also a singularly bizarre film, in the most complimentary possible way. It has elements of many familiar movies but it mixes them so vigorously and continuously that it is impossible to be compared with any other movie. Instead, Beau It’s more like an eclectic mix of many directors, films, books, plays and writers who have had an influence on Aster throughout his life. And with a movie this strange and disparate, it’s only fitting that its theatrical rollout should be just as odd.

To make that happen, A24 started with a surprise, simultaneous screening of the movie’s world premiere in Alamo Drafthouse theaters in several different cities around the United States. Participants thought they were going to a film screening. Midsommar director’s cut (still Aster’s best movie), with a live Q&A from the director at the end. They were instead informed, after they had sat down, that the premiere was being held. Beau Is Afraid — though the live Q&A still happened, hosted by Emma Stone and simulcast to theaters across the country.

This type of screening can sometimes be restricted on social media, but this time, all attendees were permitted to comment about the film as it was ending. Which means the movie instantly generated positive word-of-mouth from some of Aster’s biggest fans — critics and general audiences alike.

Photo: Takashi Seida/A24

What is the actual review embargo? Beau was set for 10 p.m. EDT on the night of Monday, April 10 — an unusual hour for an embargo, since they’re usually set for morning or afternoon. The embargo is also in effect a few days prior to the film’s release in a handful of theaters in Los Angeles and New York. In most cities, critics won’t even be able to see the movie until its public IMAX preview on April 18. The movie will then be released in theaters nationwide on April 21.

These strange dates, along with the increasing number of social media blips A24 is hoping each new release will cause, serve to build anticipation and momentum. If things work out in the studio’s favor, then movie fans will have been hearing good things about Beau Is AfraidThey will not be able to view the film for three weeks. This strategy reads like an artificial attempt to create the kind of hit that Aster’s The Hereditary became. A solid run in the theatre (which brought in $44 million domestically) was followed by a successful film. The Hereditary The movie was able to make a big splash when it became available on Netflix.

Photo: Takashi Seida/A24

But it isn’t just the impressive buildup of Aster’s previous movies that might have A24 hoping it can create a sleeper hit with Beau; it’s also the recent history of theatrical releases. 2022 Horror movies Smile, BarbarianPlease see the following: Terrifier 2Each release saw its box office returns rise slowly over the weeks instead of experiencing the initial boom seen with larger releases. The blockbuster animated films such as The Last Wish: Puss in Boots took a while to find an audience in today’s movie environment. This year however, Skinamarink Leaked online and generated a lot of TikTok buzz prior to its theatrical release. This made it very popular with people who came in large numbers for this slow-burn horror film.

There’s no guarantee that Beau Is AfraidIt will undoubtedly find a large, dedicated audience or grow to be a success via word of mouth. But at the very least, it’s hard to fault A24 for experimenting with the release pattern on such a strange movie. I was at the movie’s first screening in Brooklyn, the one where Aster actually appeared live and in the flesh. His new film is entertaining, fun, weird, and messy, even if it doesn’t entirely gel in the end. Fans of horror, cinematic oddities, and Aster’s other work should go see it once that becomes an option. For all those reasons, it’s also a difficult movie to sell, so why wouldn’t A24 err on the side of building it up slowly, with Aster’s most ardent fans leading the way?