SPOILER ALERT: This story discusses major plot points for “Beau Is Afraid,” currently playing in theaters.
In the final act of Ari Aster’s three-hour anxiety trip “Beau Is Afraid,” Beau, played by Joaquin Phoenix, arrives very late for his mother’s funeral and finds himself reunited with his childhood love Elaine, played by Parker Posey. It’s an awkward reunion for the two, but they wind up in bed together. Just as they are about to have sex, Elaine pulls out her phone and the intro to Mariah Carey’s 1995 hit “Always Be My Baby” begins to play.
Speaking over Zoom, the film’s music supervisor Jemma Burns said Aster told her during their first meeting, “’If there’s one thing you do for me on this film, I have to have this Mariah Carey song.’”
Burns, whose credits include “Okja” and “Top of the Lake,” knew she had to secure the song. The best way to do so was for Aster to write a letter.
“When I approach someone, I think about the best angle. Are we appealing to the fact that Ari is a highly regarded director of crazy horror films?” says Burns. “Not only is Carey an A-List musician, but it’s an outrageous scene.”
As the song plays, Beau experiences an orgasm for the first time in his life. All his life, Beau has been convinced that an orgasm will kill him. Elaine keeps the tune playing as she continues to grind on top of him.
“This is her slow jam that she puts on to get him in the mood, and it’s going to get her through this moment,” says Burns.
But it’s not Beau who dies. Elaine’s fate is a grim one. Her climax causes her death.
“To say it’s outrageous is an understatement,” says the music supervisor. “I suggested to Ari to write [Mariah Carey] a letter. It’s a bit of a stab in the dark not knowing how best to approach her.”
Burns was hoping the artist-to-artist approach was the most compelling way to appeal to Carey, rather than to go through business folk and everyone else in between.
“You’re speaking directly. Ari explained to her how he was listening to the song while he was writing the film and the song is very much the DNA of the film. It’s the most perfect pop song ever written,” Burns shares.
In the event, Carey wouldn’t okay the rights, Burns had some songs as a backup.
“I tried to convince him to look at other songs,” Burns says. Additionally, she was worried about the budget — the film cost $35 million to make “just because of the size of that song.”
However, Aster showed Carey the scene where the song would play, and “A24 were so supportive the entire time,” says Burns.
While Burns is proud the team landed the sync, she’s also proud of another sync by John Zorn, the avant-garde New York based musician.
“He’s usually not interested in licensing for films. Initially, he said to me, ‘I just don’t license my music.’” Once Burns told him it was for Aster’s, Zorn changed his tune. “He said, ‘I love Ari and I’m so happy for his success. Tell him I’ll get behind him on anything.’”