Spring Breakers (2012)
TLDR: A hypnotic dramedy and Black Mirror-esque tale of a group of millennials seeking to voyage and take part in their hedonistic Mecca, called Spring Break in Florida. This film can easily be interpreted to be something it is not, but for those who 'get it', Spring Breakers is a fitting and compelling continuation of Harmony Korine's ellucidating saga of outlandish contemporary Americana.
Harmony Korine is one of the most fascinating auteuristic filmmakers today. His films frequently tackle segments of American society - often teenage and adult debauchery - through a lens that looks to have dropped more than a few tabs of LSD and a cocktail of assorted booze. Bizarre characters are tantamount, as are his neon colour palettes and great musical choices. And yet, like an expose on a walk of life you had never been aware of, there is always something to be taken away from Korine's stories and subject matter.
Spring Breakers taps into the oft-depraved world of the proverbial American 'Spring Break'. In a genius and very telling move, Korine pulls a number of former Disney child stars to be his female entourage who chase after the sex, drugs and alcohol hanging from the string in front of them all the way down to St. Petersburg, Florida. However, like most realistic teenagers, they do not actually have the funds to get to Florida and so they are required to participate in extracurricular activities to obtain the money, namely, completing an armed robbery of a local restaurant. And so begins their trip down the rabbit hole, into said world of sex, drug, alcohol, (violence), and all things we, as children are taught to stray away from, but are allowed and encouraged at Spring Break (and in Florida).
In this way, Spring Breakers is a biting satire and commentary on the direction of today's youth. Yet it is not a lecture by any means, but, in fact, is closer to be seen as the opposite - an almost jubilant but mocking depiction of our moralless and uninhibited young generation. What follows is an entertaining and frequently over-the-top film, centred with strong performances by our main Spring Breakers (Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, and Rachel Korine) as well as one of the film's most lauded aspects, which is James Franco's performance as Alien, an adult Florida resident who epitomizes the lifestyle that students from all over the country go to Spring Break to try out for themselves.
At times, the film can be a lot to handle for its excessiveness, however, that is kind of the point of it all. Understanding its purpose and that it is not, in fact, celebrating this way of life and debaucherous annual getaway is vital to a viewing of the film. Perhaps no scene summarizes the perfect and biting satire of the film more so than the girls' and Alien's rendition of Britney Spears' 'Everytime'. It is a remarkably prescient scene and maybe even one of this decade's best. Spring Breakers is unlike most other films today and is definitely worth a watch.
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