Beau Is Afraid

In the extremely divisive film <em>Beau Is Afraid</em>, Joaquin Phoenix stars as a schlubby, anxiety-ridden man whose existence is an extended nightmare of guilt, shame, dread and paranoia. Written and directed by Ari Aster (<em>Hereditary, Midsommar)</em>, the film follows Beau as he attempts to visit his mother. But he gets repeatedly frustrated by a series of deeply disturbing obstacles that may be real, or may be entirely of his own making.<br><br><a href="https://plus.npr.org/happy">Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour</a>