The Beach Bum
2019 · Directed by Harmony Korine
Original language: English
- comedy
- drama
The story
An irreverent comedy about the misadventures of Moondog, a rebellious stoner and lovable rogue who lives large.
What it’s like
Saturated, sun-bleached Florida in every frame: hot white sand, turquoise water, pink-and-orange sunsets, and Miami's pastel motels and boat-strewn marinas, shot with loose, roving camera moves and a grainy, slightly washed-out digital look that feels improvised. The mood is loose, hazy and a little feverish, a drifting party vibe with flashes of surreal, dreamlike editing and music that swings between hip-hop, languid reggae and strummed acoustic blues. Pacing is wayward and episodic, more ambling than driving, with long stretches of lazy indulgence broken by sudden bursts of chaos. Its people are gleefully unmoored: a self-styled poet drifts through excess and bad decisions, and the film is more interested in the texture of his carelessness than in any tidy redemption. Intensity is moderate: frequent drug and alcohol use, crude sexual humour and nudity, some strong language, and a few sudden, cartoonish violent moments that are more absurd than harrowing. It suits a late-night, half-awake watch or a shaggy comedy for viewers who enjoy eccentric, anti-polished films about hedonism and wandering.
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