The first question appearing with some critics is: did Ari invited his mother to the premiere? Ari must be afraid, very afraid. Now he acquired a cult following and, seemingly despite the admonishments of his mother, can sleep with any number of Scandinavian or Baltic models if he ignores an occasional Nazi tattoo in intimate places. This is not to deny artistic qualities of the movie. Some scenes, for instance exposition of a proverbial "bad neighborhood" can even evoke a laugh among three hours of the movie released as a comedy.
The main difference between his daring "Midsommar" and "Beau is afraid" is that, despite an impeccable acting by Joaquin Phoenix, and a cameo by Nathan Lane, his hero cannot inspire any emotional connection. So empty is his thinking and so will-less his behavior that Beau Wasserman has all reasons to be afraid.
