Aggro Dr1ft

Chalk up another "compliment" to the man toasted as a visionary and the 'future of cinema." I walked out of the theater after 30 minutes. I've never done that in my life until now.

I love shocking, next-level cinema like Titane, Enter the Void, The Tribe, and more, but Agrro Dr1ft is just dull, senseless, and irritating to the eyes. It is a low-grade video of blurry people walking around a room in disturbing three tone neon colors with a few royal palm trees and sports cars thrown in to give you the "Miami experience." Dialogue is sparse and idiotic. Characters like "Bo the Assassin" dressed head to toe in soccer knee pads, socks, and swim goggles (shout out to the innovative costume designer) are so pathetic and ridiculous that I wanted nothing more than to punch them in their faces, hard and immediately.

The theater experience wasn't any better. It was hot, stuffy, and complete with a cramped seat next to an obnoxious, insensibly screeching, drunk frat boy moron with a full beer that he placed, with a shaky hand, on the uplifted floor just behind my head.

I have a low standard for movies. I'll watch just about anything and find something to enjoy. Yet this movie dissapointed me because it offers so little.

This movie wants to be carried by the gimmick that is it's visual style. There are interesting aspects but it could've been done better in a ten minute YouTube video. This feels like a experiment that was dragged out to a feature length film.

There are few characters and none of them are developed. There is no coherent plot just the monologuing of the main character. There is almost no action aside from a couple brief assinations.

I checked my watch probably ten times wondering when it would end. I also considered walking out about half way through. There were scenes so bad that I laughed out loud.

I don't recommend wasting your time...

The "retina scorching" infrared colors are something I was never tired of during this film. A surreal, meandering story that cascades from PS2 style voice work to meditative thoughts on love, hate, violence, and purpose. It's about everything and nothing. I have to give major props to Arnaud, Joao, and Leo (and the editing team) on crafting some absolutely excellent visuals.

A whole section could be devoted to AraabMuzik's excellent soundtrack that toes the line between hip hop and ambient. It really carried the vibe to a whole new level.

Is this film anything other than vibe with some interesting things here and there? Not really, but I don't think that Harmony was intending anything beyond that.

There is no movie like AGGRO DR1FT.

Harmony Korine returns to coastal Florida with his own unique alternative style of filmmaking. His new film is a surreal, intoxicating visual experience that almost demands being seen on the big screen, more so than any of his previous work. Korine can be proud of creating such an ethereal work of colors and moods. The only catch is that's all you should look for in this film.

A professional assassin who takes great pride in his craft prepares to take on a sadistic gangster. The plot, character development and dialogue are not going to be the basis for seeing this film, mostly because the structure of all the above is so minimal to the point of malnourishment.

None of this is meant to imply that Korine cannot be a powerful storyteller. Anyone who remembers his work in "Kids" back in the day will know how edgy and provocative his ideas can be. But again, the understanding is that here you are not looking for anything profound or insightful. This is a kaleidoscopic fever dream that will put a smile on your face if you know what to expect going in. Recommended to those who can throw conventional expectations to the wind, if only for once.

Harmony Korine is one of those filmmakers that I find fascinating because his works are outright bizarre and strange in many ways. His works on Gummo, Spring Breakers, Julien Donkey-Boy, Mr. Lonely, and so forth have been experimental and really out there, which admittedly, I have enjoyed them.

This new Korine film is a surreal and visual experimental shot entirely in infrared presentation.....and it both works and doesn't. The visuals and the sound designs are strikingly and amazing with the colors, musical score and sound designs being very good. Including some bizarre moments that are edgy yet provocative in interesting ways. However, I do understand what Korine is going for with the atmosphere, narrative, and structure which while I do appreciate Korine doing what he does, this 80-minute project ends up feeling malnourished and left to nothing as it continues. It becomes aimless and quite full of itself, that it ends up being tedious.

Experimental movies are a mix bag for me as I enjoyed quite a bit but there are some that go far right one's mind that it becomes quite pretentious, and this one is one of them. At the end, it's something I can't say I like or hate as I am in the middle. But it's definitely something to be watched once for sure.