Don’t let the posters or trailers fool you, this film is to be taken much more seriously then you think.
How this film even received a R18+ over here (Australia) is beyond me and proves just what the film sets out to do, that is to question the very foundation of pop culture and the state of modern society.
The film revolves around four young teenage girls wanting to escape their daily lives by going on spring break, on such a path they end up getting arrested and then joining alongside a mentally unstable man named Alien (yes you can tell how mental he is just by his name) played by the charismatic James Franco which then leads the young girls on a path of no return.
Such escapades then delve into a deeper path of culture and the state it is in as the girls attempt to make their fantasies a reality, in the run they lose their purity and innocence before returning home as traumatized changed girls.
The film itself is shot like an old video-game with constant cuts to some repetitive footage throughout to emphasize the contrast of glamour and reality the characters face, it’s quite effective but can be a bit off-putting for all you non-arty film lovers, but of coarse if your all for arty cinema you’ll love it!
Actresses of the film, most famous for their work with Disney are almost unrecognizable in this film, most notably Vanessa Hudgens (Candy) and Ashley Benson (Brit) while Selena Gomez (Faith) manages to maintain her good girl roots though, with her character being in high religious grounds in which the film also explores by showing the conflict individuals face with religion and society.
Overall, a strong film that touches on deep issues embedded in society such as morality, innocence, religion in contrast with modern culture. But the film falls short during its closing scenes by leaving fans in a state of confusion and not knowing what to take from it, maybe that’s what director Harmony Korine was going for? After-all young teens continue to be in a state of confusion over such life issues touched upon as they more than often, as one character in the film puts it “treat it like a video game”.
Overall Rating
3/5
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