A singular piece of filmmaking that somehow wasn't a slog yet was an uncomfortable place to be for almost all of its three-hour running time.
Like Paul Thomas Anderson's own third film Magnolia (also three hours), the ambition is the point: it's apparent even more how Aster has never made a feature or short that is lazy or overly assured of itself—he never will. After the dizzying but unforgettable experience of Beau Is Afraid, we now know who to thank for that.
— Nick Allen (RogerEbert.com)
Following the sudden death of his mother, a mild-mannered but anxiety-ridden man confronts his darkest fears as he embarks on an epic, Kafkaesque odyssey back home.