The F'd Up mind of Ari Aster

Ari Aster, the mind behind Hereditary, Midsommar, and Beau is Afraid, is an extremely impressive up and coming director. These three movies round out his entire film catalog so far (excluding any producer credits) and all three are wildly unique and take the viewer on a wildly disturbing ride. I recently watched both Midsommar and Beau is Afraid and thought rather than review both of the films, why not talk about the director himself?

In my opinion, I think that Ari Aster may be one of the best filmmakers out there right now. I have always thought that a sign of a really good movie and really good directing job is when you (the viewer) are completely immersed in the film. The best films make you forget you are even watching one. They also make you feel so deeply for the character, that it is almost like you yourself are right alongside them. When I watched his movies, I felt this way, which both disturbed me and thrilled me. In Hereditary, I felt like I was right there in the living room dealing with the death of a sister, an effect that was purposely implemented by Aster in an effort to make the movie scarier. This effect has made Hereditary considered one of the scariest movies ever created. It seems that Aster really wants the viewer to relate to the main characters in his films. I felt this way watching Florence Pugh struggle in the Swedish cult in Midsommar and when I watched Beau is Afraid, it might as well have been Dan is Afraid. After finishing all three of the movies, I found myself emotionally exhausted from how invested I found myself in each film. 

All three of Aster's movies are currently available on streaming (Hereditary and Midsommar on MAX and Beau is Afraid on Paramount+) and I highly recommend watching all three of them. Fair warning: all three are wildly disturbing for a various list of reasons. 

Finally, what I think makes Ari Aster one of the greatest film makers in Hollywood right now is his fearless approach to storytelling. His films are wildly outside of the norm of what a typical Hollywood movie is made up of. His films are filled with disturbing scenes and lots of nudity, but beyond that, they are extremely well written and beautifully shot in a way that takes the viewer out of their seat and right into the film itself.