Movies
‘Beau Is Afraid’ – Mysterious ARG Underway for Ari Aster’s Latest?
We’re just under a month out from Beau Is Afraid, a nightmare comedy from A24 and director Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar) that will release in theaters on April 21, 2023.
While the marketing campaign seems quiet so close to release, clues scattered across the web suggest a Beau is Afraid ARG (Augmented Reality Game) is well underway in promotion of Aster’s latest…
Earlier this year, an official movie TikTok account posted now-deleted videos directing viewers to the MW Industries® Instagram, followed by a website to sign up to become MW Ambassadors. Subscribers get periodic updates, including secret links to A24’s shop for MW Industries® merch and notifications for a newly created LinkedIn page for the fictional company. It’s worth noting that inspecting the source code on the Perfectly Safe Co. site includes the ominous “real people should not fill this in and expect good things” message embedded.
It seems as though the rabbit hole is only going to get deeper, with new activity expanding to MW Ambassador profiles.
What does any of this have to do with Beau is Afraid? It turns out that MW stands for Mona Wassermann, the mother of Beau Wassermann (Joaquin Phoenix) and founder of the company. Will the ARG unveil any deeper connections or intel about the movie? That remains to be seen, but at least this offers some fun clues in the meantime.
We’ll be paying attention. Stay tuned.
In Beau is Afraid, “A paranoid man embarks on an epic odyssey to get home to his mother in this bold and ingeniously depraved new film from writer/director Ari Aster.”
Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan, Stephen Mckinley Henderson, Hayley Squires, Denis Ménochet, Kylie Rogers, Armen Nahapetian, Parker Posey, and Patti LuPone star in the A24 produced and financed film, penned by Aster.
Watch the official trailer for Aster’s Beau Is Afraid below, which looks to be a wildly unique vision. And while it may not exactly fall into the horror genre like Aster’s two previous feature films for A24, it looks every bit the “nightmare comedy” that Aster once called it.
Sunrise Films has announced the official North American release of William Bagley‘s horror comedy Hold the Fort, and it’s accompanied by an energetic new trailer.
Hold the Fort debuts on digital platforms on June 23.
In the film, “Lucas and Jenny think their life is finally coming together when the couple become homeowners. Little do they know that their new house comes with a big catch. Lucas and Jenny soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when they become trapped in a battle between their Homeowners Association and an onslaught of monsters from hell. The horror-comedy takes the timely concern of home-ownership and wraps this up in an entertaining action-packed thrill ride.“
Watch the new trailer below, which introduces one wild HOA gathering during an equinox. Things get bloody fast.
Chris Mayers (Adult Swim Yule Log), Haley Leary (“The Walking Dead”), Levi Burdick, and Julian Smith star.
William Bagley writes and directs, in addition to producing with Smith, Matt Dodd, Luke Williams, and Tim Reis (Adult Swim Yule Log).
Ahead of the release, Bagley said, “My goal with this film was to make a hilarious, fast-paced thrill ride while also telling a great story with heart. Hopefully, through all the blood, laughs, fights, and gags, you leave the film feeling inspired to tackle whatever life throws at you.“
Hold the Fort premiered at Fantasia last summer before going on to play FrightFest London, Toronto After Dark, and Beyond Fest.
I wrote in my review, “It’s an infectiously charming assemblage of jokes and monster vignettes bound together by a barebones plot with not much on its mind beyond delivering an entertaining time.”
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