Beau Is Afraid, Chevalier, To Catch A Killer | See It or Skip It

Salt Lake City, Utah (See It or Skip It) — Joaquin Phoenix stars in one of the year’s most anticipated horror films, but will ‘Beau Is Afraid’ be hailed as a creative success, or will you be “Joaquin” out the door?

Beau Is Afraid

oaquin Phoenix stars as Beau, a very timid and terrified man in fear for his life, his sanity, and his overbearing mother. When a collection of bad choices leaves Beau without a way to visit his mother, he embarks on one of the most terrifying and surreal journeys I’ve seen this year—but also one I don’t wish to revisit anytime soon.

Ari Aster as a director thrives in divisive imagery and vague storytelling that makes you want to talk with your friends about the film for hours after it’s over. “Midsommar” and “Hereditary” are both films that explore grief and loss, weaving those themes into pure horror, taking you into the surreal, and grounding you with the sincerity of their writing. With “Beau Is Afraid,” I did not see the tight script of his previous films. Instead, this is a three-hour exploration into madness, with familiar themes of grief and loss, but a narrative that is all over the place.

If you aren’t sure what you’re getting into with this film, I would suggest going in without expectations. I will say this is Ari Aster’s funniest film to date, but it’s drenched in horror and is tough to gauge with an audience that doesn’t know what they’re in for. I found myself chuckling at the most absurd parts, but I still can’t tell if I was laughing with the film or at it.

See it, don’t see it, but I commend anything that is a creative force—and “Beau Is Afraid” absolutely is a creative force that, should you choose to explore it, will certainly give you conversations for hours.

See It or Skip It: Either

Chevalier

A story about a long forgotten master composer during the time of Mozart, “Chevalier” tells how he got into music, his struggles, and what ended up happening that took his name away from the list of great composers.

All the performances were strong. Kelvin Harrison Jr. gives a star performance and is immediately likable. His character’s relationship with Samara Weaving’s character was the highlight of the film. It was also very interesting to learn more about the history of what Europe was like during the French Revolution, but done with a modern style in the writing and whenever Chevalier plays.

Overall, this is one I could recommend to anyone. If you’re a fan of period piece films, who loves forbidden romances and good music, then there is something here for you.

See It or Skip It: See It

To Catch A Killer

While the film has a grade A cast with Woodley and Mendelsohn, “To Catch a Killer” has too many side stories and not enough substance to justify it to new audiences who are fans of crime thrillers. This isn’t an awful film, and there are some good moments of suspense built into a few scenes. If you happen upon this while browsing your streaming site, it may be a good one to check out.

See It or Skip It: Skip It

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