Sunday Scaries: I Sure Hope Ari Aster Makes Another Horror Movie Soon

The Sunday Scaries are upon us once again! Yes, as the weekend concludes, most of us feel an oncoming sense of anticipatory dread about the week ahead. Anxiety about work manifests itself into a feeling that’s known as the Sunday Scaries. However, we at Awards Radar are here to combat that, by taking back the name. Now, we want you think about a horror-centric piece on the site when you hear the term. So, let us continue on with another installment of the Awards Radar Sunday Scaries! Today, we’re looking at a filmmaker who really needs to get back into the horror game…

Just a few years ago, Ari Aster was seen as one of the next great horror filmmakers. When Hereditary came out, it was not just a sign that A24 horror was a force to be reckoned with, but also that Aster could be a genre master. The subsequent release of Midsommar only furthered his horror credentials. By all rights, he was an A-list horror director. However, since then, Aster has taken a turn, one which I’m not really following along with.

First, his mysterious third film became Beau is Afraid, a nightmare comedy of sorts. Now, this past week brought the release of Eddington, a dark comedy and modern western. These flicks do have horror elements to them, but they’re a far cry from his earlier works. The movies have really bounced off of me, leading to a feeling that Aster really should be trying to recapture his horror roots.

My review of Beau is Afraid (here) began like so:

I think it’s important to state this right at the top when reviewing a sure to be divisive film like this. Regardless of my thoughts on the movie, you should see it for yourself and make up your own mind if you’re interested. That being said, I can’t help but be absolutely gobsmacked, and not in a good way, by Beau is Afraid. As you can see in the title…Joey is Confused (and a little bit angry). Bloated and indulgent, this is the sort of work that gives a stink to a personal project from an up and coming auteur. Closer to a prank than actual cinema, at least to me, it has so little to offer, while subjecting you to so much, it becomes a Job-like experience, which is ironic given the torture our title character goes through.

You have to respect Ari Aster for getting Beau is Afraid produced and out into the world. That’s different than enjoying the film, which is befuddling, massively unenjoyable, and three hours of my life that I’ll never get back. It tested my patience, offering up only occasional giggles and a few WTF moments that you wouldn’t believe even if I spoiled them here (I won’t). Suffice it to say, regardless of whether you like this final product or not…it’s a lot.

When it comes to Eddington (here), I had even less patience, despite not disliking the movie quite as much, as seen here:

I’m starting to think that Ari Aster might just not be for me. He may simply be joining Wes Anderson in that pool of filmmakers whose work largely bounces off of me. I say this since, aside from Midsommar, I’m always on the lower end with his films. Hereditary is good, not great, while Beau is Afraid (as I got into here), is one of the more unwatchable movies to come out in the past decade. So, even with that, I went into Eddington with an open mind. The cast is great, I’m a sucker for a political story. The elements are here for it to work, and for about the first third of the flick, it largely did. Then, things began to take a turn, and they just kept sinking lower and lower. By the end, I was mostly just annoyed by what I’d seen. There’s some good here, but there’s plenty of bad, too. The nicest thing I can say without any reservation? This isn’t Beau is Afraid.

Eddington has Aster sharing all of his impulses and thoughts with us again, instead of this time, the neurosis isn’t centered on anxiety in general, but on COVID-era political ones. For a little bit, it works, too, since there’s no shortage of targets to be had in that regard, no matter your politics. Then, he ops to make a narrative choice that I saw coming, yet hoped would be avoided. It’s obvious and simplistic, something a film with less on its mind would do. From there, things just devolve, as subplot after subplot come in, consistently drawing focus away from any of what we were supposed to care about previously. By the time the credits roll, after two and a half hours, you’re just exhausted and happy for the release of an ending. By making a western with some comedic elements, Aster has tried something new, though with similarly frustrating results.

Now, even though I’ve actively disliked his non-horror outings, this is as much about how much I found his voice to be a fit for the genre. I actually was on the lower end of the positive side with Hereditary, though Toni Collette is wonderful. Midsommar is what really won me over, from Florence Pugh to the daytime design of the scares, so I was pumped for more. Aster was doing things unlike anyone else, so it’s only natural to want more.

Next up, Aster has potentially Acting Class, which was mentioned as being in development a few years ago. It’s likely not horror, the hope is that it’s something new, as opposed to just more of what we’ve been getting with Beau is Afraid and Eddington. If you’re fond of this genre turn Aster has made, that’s great. He’s clearly making things important to himself, so if you’re along for the ride, that’s wonderful. I’m just learning how much I’m not, as well as how much I’d been looking forward to seeing him continue to develop in the world of horror.

Hopefully there will come a time that Ari Aster makes another horror work. If he doesn’t we have two very notable ones in Hereditary and Midsommar. I just think he has more to say in the genre. If that’s not the case, then he likely won’t ever return to that realm. However, if he does, then here’s hoping that it’s just a matter of time…

Stay tuned for another Sunday Scaries installment next week!