A polarizing film for sure, I had a massive blast watching it though! Also i'm really glad i caught this one theatrically as this is clearly made for the big screen. I think for as mixed as its reception is right now, this film's standing will only grow over time, kinda like it happened with Charlie Kaufman's Synecdoche, New York (2008), which had opened to a similarly lukewarm reaction.

And there are indeed some undeniably Kaufman-esque vibes to this one with director Ari Aster going all-in on his satirical bent, which was also a feature of his films right from the start but became more central with each new one, while the themes of mental illness, previously negotiated with a more serious tone, get transformed into a surreal PTSD and anxiety wonderland extravaganza that manages to be maximally cruel to the protagonist while still having plenty of empathy left for the super-passive antihero on his fantastical odyssey.

This is, after all, still as much a horror film as it's a comedy and i don't think a character's anxieties coming alive with relentless brutality have ever been depicted in such a hyper-real way. An acquired taste, this one, but also a delightful indulgence for those seeking fresh and novel experiences in cinema, provided they are fine with a film raising more questions rather than giving satisfying answers.