Everything about Joaquin Phoenix’s new movie Beau is Afraid is bizarre, so it makes sense that the team behind it did some bizarre covert marketing…on LinkedIn, of all places. The film follows the epic quest of Beau, who tries to make it back to his mother’s house after he learns that she’s been killed by a fallen chandelier. He faces many obstacles along the way.
In the new A24 movie, Beau’s mother Mona Wassermann is played by Zoe Lister Jones when younger and Broadway musical legend Patti LuPone when older. Mona is a wealthy businesswoman and the powerful CEO of a pharmaceutical company called MW Industries. It’s this company that has had a page on LinkedIn since March 2023.
MW Industries apparently has its HQ in Wasserton, which is perhaps a clue regarding Mona’s name Wassermann. The tagline or brand name of ‘Perfectly Safe’ is used several times on the page, which does make some sense in the context of the strange comedy movie. Mona is obsessed with keeping Beau ‘perfectly safe,’ especially when it comes to sex and relationships.
Mona manipulates and emotionally blackmails Beau throughout the movie, and constantly lies to him in order to make him call and visit her more often. Beau also discovers that his teen sweetheart Elaine has gotten a job at his mother’s company MW Industries when she grew up. Adult Elaine is played by the delightful Parker Posey, who is known for some of the best 90s movies.
You can read our Beau is Afraid review to see how it stacks up against the rest of the best Joaquin Phoenix movies. If you’re looking for a slightly more normal time at the movies, check out our guide to the best drama movies.