This comparison to the epic fantasy series probably isn’t doing fans a lot of favors while they try and figure out what “Beau is Afraid” is even really about. Originally titled “Disappointment Blvd.,” the movie’s origin story has taken plenty of twists and turns on its own — when the first poster was released, some fans thought it was just named, uh, “Joaquin Phoenix,” after the film’s leading man.
Now, we know that the story is about Phoenix’s Beau trying to get back to his mother on a wild, surreal, and supernatural journey, which does bear some resemblance to “Lord of the Rings.” Other than what we’ve seen in the first trailer, though, audiences are still pretty much in the dark about Aster’s follow-up to “Hereditary” and “Midsommar,” but there’s no doubt it will be entirely unsettling. Plus, with a run time of nearly three hours, there’s going to be plenty for Aster fans to unpack once the film releases.
“Beau is Afraid” hits theaters on April 21, 2023.
