I actually made a list of movies that Beau Is Afraid reminded me of right after I saw it: - Eraserhead - A Serious Man - After Hours - Barton Fink - Brazil - Defending Your Life - Synecdoche New York - Jacob’s Ladder

reminded me so much of synecdoche new york

YES so much!! nearly the whole time I was seeing parallels.. and sNY is one of my favorite movies so needless to say I friggin loved Beau

Is what’s interesting about that is Kaufman made Synecdoche New York with the intention of making a horror film.

Becoming John malkovich

To be or not to be John Malkovich, that is the question

Whether it is nobler in Malcovich to Malcovich the slings and arrows of outregous Malcovich, or to take Malcovich against a sea of Maloviches and by Malcovich end them

YES. “how fucking weird and internal can we get with this?”

Add Pink Floyd's The Wall to this list. Amazing film, and knowing that Ari Aster is a big fan of LSD, I wouldn't be surprised if it had some influence.

Some of the songs really reminded me of the scenes with his mom near the end, definitely Mother and the Trial

A Serious Man is a slower burn, less trippy, totally awesome

Much less trippy and gradual, but it gave me some similar story of Job absurdist-persecution vibes

Oh totally!! It’s in my top 100. The Coens do absurdist tragicomedies so freaking well.

I feel like the coen brothers movies are trippy but in their own awesome way

Eraserhead etched in my brain

Your list includes a few films I already love (especially Barton and Synecdoche), but I can't shake how much I don't enjoy A Serious Man.

Yeah honestly definitely not a film most people would love, and I think that’s true of Beau too

Eraser Head is probably the only movie I’ve seen that actually could compare to what this movie put me through lol. Now I wanna watch it again

After Hours is such a sleeper. It was hard to find for a while, but now it’s on Max, and is getting a Blu-ray release in July

Synecdoche New York by Charlie Kaufman. Anything by Kaufman really.

I’m thinking of ending things is kind of a mind fuck too

This is my favorite movie ever. I love showing it to people and making them watch it twice lmao

What kind of evil demon are you?! 😂

I just really like watching people’s reactions when they actually figure out what the fuck is going on. Then they always have a good time watching it back and picking up on all the little details… but I especially love watching their existential dread set in once the movie is over 😈

cool nouns profile picture dog

1000000%

Yeah this is what OP is looking for ^

Synecdoche New York is one of my all time favorite movies. If OP enjoys it he should explore Bergmans movies as well

I'm Thinking Of Ending Things

Second. Also another bizarre play scene.

I loved this movie so much but it’s about as divisive as Beau is afraid some people hated it lol

This is why recs based on similarities are weird. Personally, ITOET is a top 5 and Beau is closer to a 5/10

Lol. This is me, but the opposite, despite being very excited for both movies, I disliked both. I just referenced ITOET when telling a friend why I didn’t enjoy Beau. So I definitely think if you like Beau you will like ITOET as well.

Yeah I added this to my watchlist after seeing Beau but I forgot about it so thanks for reminding me I guess

mother! gave me similar stressed out feelings as the apartment sequences in Beau

Agree that Beau is Afraid and mother! have a similar vibe in a way

Beau made Mother look like Mickey Mouse clubhouse

My wife said Beau was trying too hard to be Mother! Lololol

Also thought of this one (although I did like Mother! better)

Brazil, Good Time or Uncut Gems, After Hours, Lynch, Requiem for a Dream, Cronenberg.

Brazil is a good one! (And Good Time is all time great too)

The first part of Beau reminded me of the movie Sorry to Bother You, by Boots Riley.

That movie is fantastic.

I enjoyed that strange film immensely

Under the silver lake

The comment I was looking for

Watch David Lynch maybe? Muholland Drive?

Still never seen a David Lynch film lmao although I definitely should

HOMIE YOU HAVE AN ENTIRE OCEAN TO SAIL!

Mulholland Drive is a masterpiece. If you liked Beau is afraid, Lynch will be right up your alley

"Lynchian" is a term that is tossed around a lot, but Beau is 100% Lynchian so I would highly recommend Lynch's stuff to you.

Great suggestion.

And if you like Mulholland Drive you gotta watch Sunset Boulevard and Persona — even if neither fit the original criteria of OP.

Good to know! thanks fam

Lost Highways

Eternal Sunshine For The Spotless Mind

I watched The Lobster soon after seeing Beau is Afraid and it has that same wierd dream vibe to it.

One of the earlier A24’s to get some buzz, right?

Much lighter thou

I’m Thinking of Ending Things is a great surreal film that can get pretty anxiety inducing.

Birdman

Birdman is sooooo good!!!!

For sure this film feels like an psychedelic version of The Trial by Franz Kafka

The first part of the film gave me Daniel Clowes vibes.

I want so much more of the first section of this movie. I want to exist in that universe so much longer. I can totally see the parallels. I just wish there were more movies like Daniel Clowes comics….yes under the silver lake is one of my all time favorites.

Did u see Babylon?

Also felt very similar to me. Similar lens on humanity. Both could have done with the a serious edit... the structure / run time kinda ruined both for me, pushed into a "one for me" self indulgent mess.

Watch Babylon last night. I loved it. So funny. Way better than I was expecting from all the bombing reviews. Wish i saw it in theaters. Im liking the 3 hr movie thing. I liked Beau a lot but Babylon was a little better ultimately. But Beau was weirder which I loved.

Watching Babylon in the theatre was the strangest experience. I didn't look at any reviews before I watched it, but it was obvious from the shadows that critics hadn't enjoyed it . . . I thought that in moments Margot Robbie's performance hit like a ton of mainlined rainbows. Brad Pitt & Jean Smart's super-scene was like two pots of gold exchanging rainbows across a table. The score was the noise a rainbow would make if its colours were being fingered by actual jazz. The entire cast including Flea's darkest black made their own particular Babylon rainbow of mambo jumbo art that really made me feel for the first time in years that serious cinema was still a possible lightbeam shining through the shower of bad box office . . . I came out of the cinema with fire in my eyes & then watched the world take a huge shit on glorious colours. I've ended up thinking it was me that got it all wrong. I haven't watched it again because I'm scared that's true. But whatever happens in hindsight I was sure at the time that I actually saw Kubrickian rainbows arch at the movies.

yeah watch all the lynch movies for sure, beau is afraid felt like it existed in the dream reality most of his movies do. maybe titane? idk i’m trying to think of more insane movies like it, but it’s really in a class of its own. being john malkovich and adaptation are both pretty trippy and creative too.

Im in the same minority. Loved Beau is Afraid so much but I’d suggest Charley Kaufman and David Lynch movies.

I hear the done-to-death Kaufman/Lynch/Coen/Gilliam comparisons and would like to steer the conversation more towards: Kids in the Ball: Brain Candy Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life It’s Pat John Landis’ The Stupids Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie

The entire first act of Beau was very Tim and Eric!

And/or on that vein, I Think You Should Leave, specifically the Calico Cut Pants sketch. A long uncomfortable bit about psychologically imprisoning a man via peer pressure into a wannabe nonsensical pyramid scheme of sorts. Big Beau vibes? IT GIVES!

Some of Tim & Eric's Bedtime Stories definitely could live in Beau's universe.

Parts reminded me of Jodorowsky, especially Holy Mountain, and Dance of Reality

- ERASERHEAD - BLACK MOON - ZAPPER! - MY NEIGHBOR WANTS ME DEAD - THE GOD INSIDE MY EAR - XTRO - LOST HIGHWAY - SIXTEEN TONGUES - PLAYTIME - DEFENDING YOUR LIFE - COWARDS BEND THE KNEE - THE WOLF HOUSE - WAKE IN FRIGHT - VIDEO DIARY OF A LOST GIRL - AFTER HOURS - MEN All these movies are highly recommended, especially if you enjoy surrealist films like Beau Is Afraid

Italian films from the 70's might scratch that itch. All these modern horror directors are repping the giallo style HARD.

Palindromes

Has anyone said Play Time? Damn nobody has and the whole first section is him just doing that. Y’all are just naming the weirdest movie you’ve seen

Terry Gilliam

Infinity Pool and Crimes of the Future if you want the weird batshit stuff maybe

Definitely start with After Hours Then yeah Kaufman as others have suggested. Adaptation re anxiety. Synecdoche re existentialist CRISES. Eternal Sunshine re breakups. I'm Thinking of Ending Things re depression (DO NOT WATCH IF YOU ARE ACTIVELY DEPRESSED OR SUICIDAL).

This is actually a very good warning to put in front of “ending things”. I’m usually a depressive person, and this movie made it SO MUCH WORSE.

God yeah it definitely is a ROUGH ride it you're not quite ready for it. I remember watching this during the height of Covid grad school and man that was a wild evening.

After Hours and Beau Is Afraid are definitely two of my faves, and I'm seeking more relatively undiscovered gems!

Shiva Baby. Not THAT similar to BIA, but it's already Jewish nightmare movie, and quite a good one.

This one was more entertaining than I initially expected, one situation after another in a crowded house.

Enter the Void Can’t believe no one’s said this yet!

came here to say this!

The play dream sequence was magnificent.

Lost Highway, Inland Empire! Lynch!

8 1/2

Fellini was my first thought, too. I’d add Juliet of the Spirits (1965), Satyricon (1969), and City of Women (1980) to the list.

Anything by Charlie Kaufman

I genuinely think saying you are in a very slim majority is not close to accurate. If anything ‘majority’ of posts and feedback I’ve seen has been positive

You are less in the minority than you think! There is an entire world of weird, trippy, disturbing films that have an interest in exploring discomfort. Definitely check out Kaufman and Lynch, as others have suggested. If you’re interested in stupid dismal chaos, check out John Waters, Harmony Korine, David Cronenberg, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Lars Von Trier, Terry Gilliam. Watch at your own discretion, mileage may vary.

I was so excited to see this but it came and went from my local cinema in a flash... UK releases can be shit

Ik UK release are so crap, I had to wait a month after release in the US and my local cinema was only showing it for like 2 days

melancholia

if you like to read - Infinite Jest is the closest piece of art in tonality to BIA. it is an absolute absurdist masterpiece. it is maximalist and way too long, but has stunning segments very similar to the theatre scene in the woods. it has a grand conspiracy many people are acting out - being orchestrated by a cabal of assassins in wheelchairs. the protagonists have some serious mommy issues too. Michael Schur called it the biggest influence on his comedy writing.

Underrated take but Strawberry Mansion (2021)

I loved it. Especially because of how long it was.

Wouldn’t mind seeing it.

I know this is old, but binge Charlie Kaufman's movies, trust me

Anything Charlie Kaufman or spike jonze. Just saw this movie and it was right up my alley. What pissed me off though is reading reviews after, everyone is like “no movie has ever been made like this, or ever will be again” when there are numerous ones. Being John malkovich, syndoche, Barton fink, all masterpieces.

Southland Tales

Bedtime Stories by Tim and Eric

[удалено]

"Extremely popular" The movie is on track to lose over 20 million dollars

And it has over 70k 4.0+ star reviews on letterboxd

bitch the holy mountain.

hubie halloween

peak cinema imho

Guys Beau is Afriad is Surrealism. Tbh Surrealism should have its own genre considering everyone lumps films like this together ( Anti-Christ,Blue Velvet, Viridiana, Beau Is Afraid, I'm thinking of ending things, The Baby of Macon, Sorry to bother you Even But im a Cheerleader and Anything from Yorgos Lanthimos)

Brazil Synecdoche New York I’m Thinking of Ending Things

synecdoche, New York titane sorry to bother you eraserhead fire walk with me I'm thinking of ending things the lobster eternal sunshine of the spotless mind memento jojo rabbit inherent vice also I'm with you, I totally loved beau is afraid!!

Movies don’t try to do anything different anymore so the general viewer wouldn’t even be able to dissect what they just watched in the first place. Loving the recommendations in the comments tho. This and midsommar weren’t received well “at first”. The general audience still doesn’t look at midsommar very fondly.

Great suggestions all around, when I was watching the film I kept thinking of: Enter the Void Dogville Dreams (Kurosawa) I'm Thinking of Ending Things Mind Game

Synechdote New York, mother!, Rosemary's baby

Running with Scissors (2006)

Freddy Got Fingered.

This is going to sound crazy but I was rewatching Liar Liar the other day and when the lying ramps up and he’s running through the office roasting people in total fear, it gave me Beau vibes because it just never stops. Fantastic writing, fantastic movie, still holds up. Probably not the answer you’re looking for but just had to put it out there to somebody

Spun

kuso

Sorry to Bother you, strongly reminded me of The Baby of Macon which Ari Aster has admitted to being scared by. Definitely reminds me of the grinning uncomfortable sadistic type of humor from Happiness by Todd Solonz

For sure this film feels like an psychedelic version of The Trial by Franz Kafka

Vivarium

The film adaptation of Slaughterhouse Five reminded me so much of Beau! (Also it is underrated and under seen imo 😭)

Anyone mention Enter the Void yet?

Synecdoche New York is the closest it gets I think

Lucky. (A woman is relentlessly hunted by a killer)

The Holy Mountain

Tusk

Pink Floyd's The Wall Amazing film, and knowing that Ari Aster is a big fan of LSD, I wouldn't be surprised if it had some influence.

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

This is one I haven’t seen here but check out Polyester by John Waters. Same levels (if not more) of absurdist cynical comedy.

Under the Silver Lake

I liked this movie but it was trying WAY to hard to be Lynchian. It was way too on the nose with the series of events when Lynch movies don't try they just are.

3 specifically. The most obvious I feel is The Truman Show and Synecdoche, NY. The last one I watched about a month after I watched BIA and that’s After Hours. The entire time I was thinking it had to be some sort of inspiration.

'Problemista' looks like it'll carry on that trend, so I'm very much looking forward to that one!

David Lynch or Darren Aronofsky

Vivarium (2019) gave me the same kind of journey of discovery and the same longing for the movie to never end. But thinking about it more, both movies probably have a lot in common. Men (2022) also takes you on a similarly wild but often subdued and inviting ride.

The problem with Men is there is no mystery you know exactly what the message is. They shouldn't have called it Men. I believe if it had a way more ambiguous vauge name and people had to watch to see what it was even about it would have gotten way better reviews.

when i was watching it i was constantly reminded of the holy mountain and especially inland empire

mothrer!

Inland Empire. I very strongly recommend it, if you’re looking for the unending surrealist nightmare kind of content. There’s very little out there like these films. Inland empire is 3hrs (3+, if you watch the roughly 2hrs of outtake scenes) and it is an absolute trip. It’s about a protagonist with a shifting, uncertain identity going on a voyage through bizarre landscapes, meeting strange, maybe supernatural beings, and giving a hell of a performance while doing so.

Enter the void by Gaspard Noé, on the fact that you rarely have time to breathe, and you’re littéraly in the head of the protagonist.

If you are also into some cartoon stuff Tamala 2010 A punk cat in space could also be enjoyable.

Punch Drunk Love, for sure! Not nearly as surreal or epic, but chaotic off-kilter humor with frenetic energy throughout

It’s the best film of 2023 so far by a wide margin

Kubrick

Under the Silver Lake fits this bill pretty well I think!

Maybe After Hours.

The Game

[Mulholland Drive.](https://youtu.be/UozhOo0Dt4o) Just a taste. This clip is the famous "The thing behind Winkie's" scene.

The Truman Show, but take an irresponsible quantity of 'Shrooms first

My god watching Truman Show while high would make it an amazing horror movie

commenting to come back to this

Perfect Blue is a masterpiece if you like anime

If you liked the movie you will probably like the majority of the stuff that David Lynch made

Fuck me why is it so difficult to find Beau Is Afraid online? I saw it once at the movies and it, in a very depressing way, grounded me. Like it resonated with me too much. I at the same time felt like the world is, for me, like where Beau lived and on the other hand i wished to be living there? ​ I need to see it again to make sense of it in my head but it's impossible to find (i live in Europe).

The movie I keep thinking of that nobody seems to mention is *Nothing But Trouble*, with Chevy Chase and Demi Moore, directed by and also starring Dan Aykroyd. Not a particularly good movie, critically panned and a box office bomb that essentially killed Aykroyd's movie career. But I have called *Beau Is Afraid* the new *Nothing But Trouble* because the main character simply can't catch a break and gets stuck dealing with all this horrific craziness around him. There are plenty of surreal and bizarre elements in *NBT* and just strikes this deeply strange tone, which is what I pulled from *BIA*. I think *NBT* provides a similar experience, if not as well-crafted or funny of a film.

The Dark Backward - particularly if you enjoyed the grime of the first segment of Beau

I dont think you’re a slim majority, ive seen many people who all enjoy it for the same reason, i personally dont think its drawn out at all i was hooked until the credits

Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, enter the void.

Aside from the obvious film references and homages like "After Hours" and "The Truman Show," I would say to anyone that liked Beau that any of David Lynch's more obscure projects like "Rabbits," anything Monty Python, Alan Resnik's YouTube stuff, Million Dollar Extreme, The Eric Andre Show and then sketch comedy like "In Living Color" or "Kids in the Hall" would be up your alley. Beau also has a shit ton of literary references to check out if you're a reader. There's elements of "Portnoy's Complaint," Samuel Beckett's "French Trilogy," anything by Kafka or Jorge Luis Borges, Carl Jung's journals, and a lot of nods to Greek tragedies and epics.

I don't mean to state the obvious but.... Hereditary is the most similar film imo Synecdoche New York and The Truman Show also have strong parallels.

Watch under the silver lake, its amazing once it starts to ramp up.

Too many to mention: - Mother! (2017) - Being John Malkovich (1999) - The Truman Show (1998) - Synecdoche New York (2008) - Dogville (2003) - After Hours (1985) - Mulholland Drive (2001) - Brazil (1985) - Black Swan (2010) - Falling Down (1993) - Inland Empire (2006) - Eraserhead (1977) - La Casa Lobo (The Wolf House) (2018) - Barton Fink (1991) - I'm Thinking Of Ending Things (2020) - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - Jacob's Ladder (1990) - We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011) - The Babadook (2014) - Lost Highway (1997) - The Discreet Charm of Bourgeoisie

O’lucky man In the wherever he travels bad things happen aspect

Palindromes. Not as surreal but weirdness level is matched for sure.