Thanks to A24, the definitive hipster film studio of the current era, the “nightmare comedy” has made a bit of a comeback. In their effort to empower filmmakers over the past decade, the prolific company has produced a great deal of anxiety-ridden work coming from the likes of the Safdie brothers, directors of 2017’sGood Timeand 2019’sUncut Gems,and more aptly writer/director Ari Aster who made this year’sBeau is Afraid.
Thefilmmaker behind 2018’sHereditaryand 2019’sMidsommarshocked audiences once again with his third film, which can only be described as a nightmare comedy. This niche horror-ish subgenre depicts the human condition (Good Timeis about brotherly love,Beau Is Afraidis about motherly love) through a surreal, distorted lens and moves in a series of sharp turns to keep the viewer off-kilter. It may not be one of the more popular corners of cinema but it is arguably one of the most exciting and has been explored by some of film’s greatest minds, with its origins deriving from the one and only maestro himself.
What is ‘Beau is Afraid’ About?
Joaquin Phoenix’s Beau Wassermanis preparing to visit his mother Mona on the anniversary of his father’s death when his keys get taken away from him and he can no longer leave his ramshackle apartment. After a long and anxious night, Beau calls his mother to explain himself but the line is answered by a UPS driver who gives him the tragic news that Mona has died. Plagued with guilt, Beau does everything he can to get home for his mother’s funeral and is met withan odyssey of careening misadventuresin order to reach destination. While not exact, the impetus of the film’s plot is similar to that of Martin Scorsese’s 1985 dark comedyAfter Hours, which is essentially a much leaner version ofBeau is Afraid.
What is ‘After Hours’ About?
Scorsese was on the ropes after the financial debacle of 1982’sThe King ofComedy, another underrated film by the auteur that sadly bombed at the box office and forced him to contemplate where his career was going. Like the cinematic force that he is, Scorsese was able to strike back against the Hollywood system with an indie cult classic that was well-received at its release and has only grown in popularity during its accession on home media (the recent remaster by the Criterion Collection has certainly helped).
Atop the list of his most underappreciated work,After Hoursis about a computer word processor named Paul Hackett, played by the wonderful Griffin Dunne, whose dull job is a reflection of his lonesome existence. One evening after another ordinary day at work, Paul goes to a diner and meets Marcy, played by Rosanna Arquette, a mysterious young woman who tells him that her artist roommate is selling plaster-of-Paris paperweights and that he should inquire. Paul takes her number home and, with something other than paperweights on his mind, calls to inform Marcy that he is on his way to her place in the SoHo district. This is where hisdreamlike, or nightmarish, journey aligns with Beau’s.
How are ‘Beau is Afraid’ and ‘After Hours’ Similar?
When discussing the connections betweenBeau is AfraidandAfter Hours, the best place to start would be the texts that they are inspired by. Aster describes his film as “Kafkaesque” due to the barrage of unfortunate and inexplicable events that pile on top of its protagonist; that was same term critics used to describeAfter Hoursduring its release. Both are also clearly influenced by Greek mythology (much like anotherrecent nightmarish film from a true auteur) and feature stories about men who commit to a single goal only to be jerked around by the forces around them. Their plots are dictated by near impossible coincidences and frantically pivot from scene to scene with fluid camerawork and searing music. Both of them also embrace the “style over substance” pitfall and repurpose it into an effective use of “style as substance,” however this is not to say that they necessarily share a style.
How are ‘Beau is Afraid’ and ‘After Hours’ Different?
As a matter of fact, the most significant difference between the two films is their style.Beau is Afraidoperates at a more meandering pace, clocking in just under 3 hours, whileAfter Hoursmoves at breakneck speed. Aster, as he usually does, alsoleans into the freakiness of his scenarioswhereas Scorsese allows his to exist in a prism closer to reality. The events inAfter Hoursfeel completely illogical yet realisticallycouldhappen as slim as the chances are;Beau is Afraidtakes place in its own fantastical world despite portraying one that looks eerily similar to ours. The comparisons can go on and on, but it is important to also view them individually as the complex films that they are. Both filmmakers needed miracles for their subversive visions to be realized and that alone gives them a potent creative charge that few films can express. Now comes the waiting game asBeau is Afraidlooks to achieve the same cult classic title asAfter Hours,which seems inevitable based on its polarizing response.
