If you're planning to go see Beau is Afraid any time soon, the movie's star Joaquin Phoenix has a PSA for you.
"I was told from someone in college that there was this college thread amongst friends, a challenge they were going to take mushrooms and go see this movie," Phoenix said in a recent interview with Fandango. "And I just wanted to make a public service announcement and say do not take mushrooms and go see this fucking movie."
He added, jokingly: "But if you do it, film yourself. But don’t do it!"
Beau is Afraid is the latest movie from director Ari Aster, who previously helmed horror flicks Hereditary and Midsommar. Phoenix plays Beau, a mild-mannered, anxious man who must confront his darkest fears during an epic journey back home after he learns of the death of his mother, played by Patti LuPone. The cast also includes Nathan Lane, Parker Posey, and Zoe Lister-Jones.
Based on the technicolor trailer released earlier this year and a synopsis that promises a "surrealist horror", the movie looks set to be a trippy ride – one that could become considerably bumpier if you throw hallucinogenic drugs into the mix. After the (slightly) more straightforward creepiness of Hereditary and Midsommar, Beau is Afraid is definitely new ground for Aster.
Beau is Afraid is out now in the US and reaches UK cinemas on May 19. For more movie news, fill out your watch list with our picks of the other most exciting movie release dates on the way in 2023.
