Beau Is Afraid: Age Rating Guide | Attack of the Fanboy

Ari Aster is at it again, making waves in the horror world and adding to his already stellar A24 portfolio as a director and writer. His latest film, Beau Is Afraid, appears to be a deviation from his typically more strictly horror films of the past, this time taking on some dark comedy. Described as a “Nightmare Odyssey” and in keeping with Aster’s previous works, people might wonder what the rating is, and what age you need to be to see Beau Is Afraid.

What is the Age Rating for Beau Is Afraid?

Beau Is Afraid is rated R in the United States, as well as 14A in parts of Canada and 15 in the United Kingdom. It is rated for “strong violent content, sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use, and language.” If you’re under 17 years of age and trying to attend this movie in the United States, you might not be allowed in without an adult.

Whenever you see the term “graphic nudity” along with the violent aspects you can usually tell that it’ll be a pretty rigid age rating for Beau Is Afraid. Generally, horror audiences are prepared for this type of content, but younger audiences might be barred from entry without an accompanying adult guardian.

Related: Infinity Pool Parents Guide — How Violent is This Movie?

For those who have seen other works by Ari Aster and A24, this should come as no surprise. From graphic scenes of cliff-diving and heads being smashed like watermelons Gallagher-style (but with none of the laughs) or tense psychologically-straining moments, or general head-smashing on desks. Lots of violence against heads in Aster’s movie, it seems.

But this film, while having some potentially disturbing content, is not without its funny or surreal moments. For instance, the main character’s father is initially described as having “died during an orgasm” at the moment of conception. This is described to Beau, the main character, as a hereditary condition he could also die from, affecting his sexuality later in life. So it’s an interesting twist on the “sexual content” described in the rating.

What is the Movie About?

Beau Is Afraid is a surreal odyssey in which Beau Wassermann, played by Joaquin Phoenix, must navigate around his greatest fears on a journey to attend his mother’s funeral. We see him in various stages of his life, discovering and confronting his issues along the way.

It’s described as a “Jewish Lord of the Rings” by Aster himself, with the surreal aspect adding fantastical elements to an otherwise normal journey. If you’re prepared for his usual content offerings, you’ll love what’s to come in Beau Is Afraid.

– This article was updated on April 17th, 2023