The Short Films of Ari Aster

To coincide with the highly anticipated release of Beau is Afraid, Ari Aster’s masterfully third feature, we are thrilled to present a selection of his early short films:

Basically is the first episode of a once planned series Aster described as “an idiosyncratic collection of monologue-driven character profiles” of Los Angeles residents. It stars the hypnotic Rachel Brosnahan as a self-involved, spoiled aspiring actress who shares with us her personal issues, including those about her mother and ex-boyfriend. This darkly funny satire unfolds in a series of ingeniously framed vignettes, contributing to the eerie atmosphere that Aster brings to the screen. The film premiered at the New York Film Festival in 2014.

Before writing and directing his brilliant, widely praised debut feature Hereditary – and after receiving his MFA in Directing from the AFI Conservatory – Ari Aster had already made a strong impression with his short films. The filmmaker doesn’t consider himself tied to the horror genre, but his next project is another highly anticipated horror movie with A24. We cannot wait to see what Ari Aster does next.