Why ‘Beau Is Afraid’ Didn’t Go to Cannes 2023 and More From the Lineup

For cinephiles, the line-up for the 2023 Cannes Film Festival arrived this week as an old friend. The competition is filled with familiar authors, from Wes Anderson to Todd Haynes. There are blockbusters like “Indiana Jones and the Disc of Destiny,” as well as the sprawling documentaries of Steve McQueen and Wang Bing, a Pedro Almodovar short, and a Martin Scorsese epic.

But with Cannes giving the impression of being the biggest film festival in the world, it’s also notable that certain films weren’t in the line-up, such as A24’s ‘Beau Is Afraid’ – very much a Cannes-caliber film, which the distributor. instead, it decided to open this week. What gives?

That’s one of several questions addressed in this week’s Screen Talk as Eric Kohn and Anne Thompson dig through the selection and discover some surprises, as well as some missing pieces. “It should have gone to Cannes,” Thompson said of Aster and “Beau Is Afraid” in the episode. “Ari Aster should be a Cannes auteur. There is absolutely no question about it. That is what this film proves.”

In the spoiler-free conversation, they enthusiastically share the film and why it is a commercial risk for A24. “I hope that doesn’t completely disappear from the conversation,” Kohn said. Thompson wasn’t sure. “It’s an art film,” he said. “There is no other way to describe it. And the limits for art films are pretty low right now. You can’t get your money back. This cannot be a slap in the mouth.”

They also exchange thoughts on this week’s big “succession” twist, while Thompson offers her “Renfield.”

Watch the full episode above or listen below.

Screen Talk is produced by Azwan Badruzaman, available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify, and hosted by Megaphone. Browse previous details here, subscribe hereand be sure to let us know if you’d like to hear the hosts tackle specific issues in future editions of Screen Talk.

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