Review of Spring Breakers (2013) by Brent B — 28 Feb 2014

Spring Breakers attempts to portray a satirical nightmarish descent into the oblivion of reckless hedonism that never never satisfies on an intellectual or emotional level. It has it's visceral thrills through James Franco's questionable but always entertaining performance as "Alien" and flashy cinematography and editing; yet never goes much deeper than the trashy film making that it seems to be satirizing. The main characters in this movie are more or less 2 dimensional caricatures (as I'm sure was the intention), however this just leaves the viewer with a strong sense of complacency as events predictably get darker and more out of hand. The plot trajectory and characters on their own are not able to keep this film remotely interesting, and it's message is delivered with a complete lack of subtlety that leaves little room for ambiguity. The violent finale is rendered completely weightless by the flashy, hallucinatory visual style and the lack of any emotional depth and resonance with the characters. This leaves the enjoyment hinging on your personal tolerance for loud music, naked bodies, moral depravity and colourful visuals over a prolonged period of time.

Spring Breakers is an abrasive piece of pop culture satire that will likely only be enjoyed by the dehumanized, hedonistic people it is satirizing. Whether the irony is intentional or not, it certainly does not make for a great film.