Beau Is Afraid is an anxiety-ridden epic that takes audiences on a star-studded journey through wild terrains and emotional damage, with a dizzying blend of humor and horror that is uniquely Ari Aster's brand, forged with Hereditary and Midsommar. But in a movie exploding with outrageous moments, the wildest might be a sex scene that has audiences gasping and guffawing in shock and awe.
In a paired interview with Ari Aster and Joaquin Phoenix, Mashable explores the behind-the-scenes details that culminate in Beau Is Afraid's love scene. From the pitch-perfect casting of the '90s untouchable cool girl and the jarring use of "Always Be My Baby," to a climax that can't be forgotten, this bizarre interlude seems specifically designed to psychologically scar millennials. So, how did they do it?
What happens in Beau Is Afraid's sex scene?
In the film's third act, Beau Wasserman (Phoenix) finally makes it back to the home of his mother, Mona (Patti LuPone). He's late for her funeral. But to his pleasure, the pathetic protagonist is reunited with his long-lost love, Elaine (Parker Posey). After an awkward but tender re-introduction on the porch, the pair end up in bed, where Beau loses his virginity to Mariah Carey's "Always Be My Baby," a song Elaine plays from her phone.
Because of a fear instilled in him by his mother, Beau is convinced his orgasm will cause his death. However, he climaxes and lives. Elaine, on the other hand, is not so lucky. When she orgasms, she dies, and her body freezes in place like a statue. From there, she is knocked off the bed, and even carried out of the room, never moving another muscle.
How did Beau Is Afraid pull off its Parker Posey shocker?
On set, this peculiar demise for Elaine meant Posey was replaced in the last section of the sequence by a life cast, a dummy molded after the actress's body. Prosthetic effects designer Steve Newburn, who Aster noted created the prosthetics and miniatures in his directorial debut Hereditary, created the life cast ahead of the shoot to allow time for the dummy's detailed creation. This timing pushed Aster out of his comfort zone.
"Parker and I talked for a while about what position she would be in, because we had to figure that out well in advance," Aster said, "It's usually nice to be able to, like, work through [blocking] around the time of shooting and not be stuck. But we needed to know what position she'd be in at the time of her death [to make a dummy that would work in the scene]."
Because a life cast is taken precisely of the actor's face, Aster explained that Parker had to "hold that expression as the life cast was made." Considering Elaine's face is strained in this pivotal moment, it seems no easy feat. "I'm glad it wasn't me that had to do that," Aster said, but Parker was very matter-of-fact about the whole thing.
In a separate interview with Mashable, she said simply, "Sometimes the actors have to do these things."
She hadn't seen the results of her life cast. But Parker noted that seeing what creature Newburn's team had created in the Wasserman attic — a certain phallic beast — she said, "It's just, it's great. It's, like, great to be a part of."
Parker Posey was crucial for Beau Is Afraid's climax.
While Posey's role in the film is spiked with macabre humor, sex, and death, she also brings a jolting vulnerability to Beau Is Afraid. After the eponymous hero's many run-ins with violent forces, this reprieve stands out, and Phoenix and Aster were quick to credit Posey for that.
"I have been such a fan of Parker for so long," Joaquin Phoenix said of reconnecting with his Irrational Man co-star. "I was very excited that she was cast in this movie. And she was just perfect. Sometimes you work with actors, and they surprise you. And when they do that, you just find something new in your own performance that you didn't expect because you're just reacting to them. And Parker kept surprising me. I loved working with her. There's something very soulful about those scenes."
Aster concurred, offering, "Parker Posey is so amazing in this film. I'm just so in love with what she does here — especially so on the porch. It's beyond what I dreamed she'd be doing there...Like, whenever that scene comes on, I am so mesmerized by her. What she does in [that] sex scene is so courageous. And I just love her forever for what she does in this movie. She's the best."
How did Mariah Carey become a part of Beau Is Afraid?
Following the film's April Fools secret screening at Brooklyn's Alamo Drafthouse, Aster participated in a Q&A hosted by Emma Stone where he addressed how "Always Be My Baby" found its way onto Elaine's playlist. He'd noted that the filmmakers were asked to send the scene to Carey before she'd sign off on licensing the song's use. Not only did she say yes, but Carey made an appearance at the film's premiere, posing alongside the writer/director. But what did the pop icon make of this madcap hookup?
"She's told me that she really liked the scene," Aster told Mashable, "I wrote her a letter. And she was, I guess, touched by the letter."
Aster added that he was thrilled to have secured Nina Simone's "Isn't It a Pity" for the porch scene. "I find that song to be so moving," he explained. "It gives the scene this kind of haunting, melancholy, eerie feeling."
These songs were so integral to the vision of Beau Is Afraid that Aster included them in the screenplay. Asked if these songs were something Phoenix used in preparation for his performance, the Academy Award-winner said simply, "No."
Aster laughed, saying, "I could have answered that. I don't think he reads the script."
"I read it through with you," Phoenix said to Aster, "When we were talking about it and then never again. Never again. Learn the lines like that morning."
"That all checks out," Aster chuckled.
Beau Is Afraid is now in theaters. Look for more interviews from the cast and crew on Mashable.
