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In the same way Florian Zeller illustrates the realities of dementia in The Father, Beau is Afraid takes its audience on a journey where our hero's anxiety and schizophrenia is constantly manifesting itself on screen. This is the most digestible way of processing Ari Aster's third film, and while there are several (that's putting it generously) other ideas at play here, focusing on any one of them individually in the context of everything that happens can easily get you lost in the sauce. All that to say there is A LOT going on.

I appreciate the hell out of a guy like Aster making a film like this that is so absurdly avant-garde and, at times, nonsensical. It's incredibly refreshing to see a mind like this at work, but I will say with each film the man's themes and symbolism have become increasingly more and more vague to the point where one might wonder if he's the only one in on the joke. I don't think we're there yet, but I know without a doubt many people who see this movie will feel like we are. Does he owe us a certain degree of translation? Or is the lack thereof the root of what makes this so compelling? I'm not sure I know the answer.

If Albert Brooks' The Mother was an appetizer of tackling the subconscious psychological conflict surrounding the anxieties and fears passed on from mother to son, Beau is Afraid serves as six main courses dumped on your plate all at once. While the former may stick to a surface level analysis, this film dives in head first and visualizes the struggle to an almost uncomfortable degree.

At times I enjoyed Beau is Afraid quite a bit and at other times I didn't have the slightest idea what I was watching. Still, it was an experience so unique that I can't help but to love it. When I can finally wrap my head around a defined analysis, I have no doubt that this would become increasingly more enjoyable with additional watches. That Ari Aster guy, what will he come up with next?

The premise of Severance caught my attention but after the first few episodes I was afraid the writers didn't know what to do with their incredible hook. Despite that slow start, holy crap does this thing evolve and I can confidently say it's the best show I've watched since Chernobyl. Severance brings a great mix of corporate satire, dark humor, and a tension that slowly builds into a jaw dropping crescendo. Characters find themselves in scenarios that have never truly been explored in entertainment before and it's impossible to stop watching. The build up might take a while but the last 3-4 episodes are absolutely incredible. Probably my favorite thing that Ben Stiller has ever been a part of. I know another streaming subscription might keep Severance from becoming a cultural phenomenon but the Apple TV+ trial is worth the binge, trust me.

Can we cast David Arquette in some more movies? The guy's still got it. For the fifth installment of a horror franchise this was actually pretty good. The movie does a solid job at playing with expectations and keeping you guessing. It moves along at a great pace too. The self-awareness the Scream movies have become known for is just slightly overdone here. Otherwise I had a good time with it.