Spring Breakers Review

Spring Breakers

4 stars out of 4

By Brett Takeshita

I rarely give movies four-star ratings. At most, three or four movies (out of approximately eighty) per year will receive a perfect score from me. For a movie to be deserving of a four-star rating, it must be absolutely flawless. Spring Breakers is such a film. This is no joke. I give it my highest recommendation and truly believe that it's a masterpiece. Let's see why Spring Breakers is now one of my favorite films of all time. 

Spring Breakers follows Brit (Ashley Benson), Candy (Vanessa Hudgens), Cotty (Rachel Korine), and Faith (Selena Gomez). They're four close friends who are absolutely sick of being stuck at their boring college. Spring break in Florida is calling them, where they can drink as many shots, smoke as many joints, snort as much cocaine, and get with as many guys as they want to. Unfortunately, they don't have enough money to fund this trip. So, out of sheer gutsiness, Brit, Candy, and Cotty decide to rob a fast food restaurant. They get the cash, and the four girls venture off to paradise. They love their endless days and nights of constant partying. For them, it's the best thing imaginable. Then, paradise turns to hell when the cops arrest them during one particularly insane party. However, they are bailed out of jail by Alien (James Franco), a gangster rapper who is totally drawn to them. The girls are drawn to him. Soon, things get crazy as this wild bunch starts getting into mischief and mayhem that turns from pure fun to utter chaos.

Let me just say this: Spring Breakers is a perfect film. It's unlike any other movie out there right now. Who knew that a film that people were claiming as repulsive "Girls Gone Wild" exploitation would end up being such a powerful moviegoing experience? Sure, at the surface, it may seem like simple, trashy fun, but when you dig deeper and actually begin to unfold the layers, Spring Breakers hints at something much darker, deeper, and sadder. This is the pure genius of the movie. This is filmmaking of the highest order.

Writer and director Harmony Korine has crafted the most original film in years. This is bold, riveting entertainment that leaves you thinking long after the film is over. I still can't get it out of my head, and the more I think about Spring Breakers, the more I enjoy it. Korine is able to expertly move from dark comedy to teen drama with ease. He punctuates the film with moments of shocking suspense and violence that put the viewers on edge throughout the entirety of the film. It's ridiculous how deftly Korine is able to move from genre to genre. What's more is that he challenges the audience and expects it to be intelligent. Is it a simple examination of the party lifestyle during spring break? Maybe. Is it a pessimistic exploration of the horrors of youth culture and the future of America? I think so. Whatever you conclude from the film, Korine has stated that Spring Breakers is a movie that you are supposed to "feel," and boy, will you be feeling something the whole time. From the film's explicit introduction featuring close-up, slow motion shots of bouncing breasts, to the film's wildly violent conclusion, you will be experiencing a plethora of emotions. Whether you are riveted or disgusted, you will be feeling something. It makes for both a visceral and an ethereal cinematic experience. It's terrific.

Much controversy has surrounded the cast, especially because Hudgens and Gomez are "Disney Channel" stars who are shedding their innocence and entering the adult world. Sure, the casting choices are controversial, and parents should not bring their children to this film, but the decision to cast these Disney girls is the smartest decision Korine could have made. It's unbelievable how much Hudgens and Gomez twist their on-screen personas. They are almost unrecognizable here, and they do a great job of pushing themselves both physically and emotionally to give great performances. I had never seen Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine act before, but I am happy to report that they are equally as excellent. These four young actresses give such brave and brazen performances. They shy away from nothing and are entirely real and believable. However, the best performance in the film is James Franco's. You won't believe how good Franco is in this film. He gives a wonderfully weird, quirky, and showy performance that is flawless. Not only is he funny, but he's also scary and pathetic and complex. Franco deserves an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor in 2014.

We already know how well written, directed, and acted this film is. That would have been enough. But the fact that Spring Breakers is the most technically brilliant film of the year puts it over the top. Cinematographer Benoit Debie gets some of the most stunning, gorgeous shots, filled with beautiful scenery and bright neon colors. Cliff Martinez and Skrillex's electronic score is extraordinary. It goes from upbeat to threatening with ease. The score and soundtrack is the best that I've heard in years. Douglas Crise's editing is great as well. He knows how to expertly convey Korine's chaotic vision, so that the film is always hypnotic. Thus, the combination of all of these great technical elements puts viewers under a spell. It makes for a magnetic and mesmerizing visual and sonic experience unlike any other. 

Spring Breakers is bound to be a love-it-or-hate-it film. It's sure to bring forth controversy and will spark many topics of debate. So whether you love it or hate it, know that you will take something out of this experience. Whether you are going to see this film to be titillated or riveted, know that this film will go to some dark places that will have you thinking long after it's over. I absolutely loved Spring Breakers and truly believe that it's one of the best films that I've ever seen. It targets and captures my generation perfectly, and I could totally relate to the flawed world that Korine has created. (I'm not entirely sure that "Generation X" will understand and appreciate this film as much as "Generation Y" will). Spring Breakers' pure artistry and ingenuity makes for sheer cinematic exhilaration and bliss. I truly believe that years from now, Spring Breakers will be an enormous cult classic. I love this film, and I admire it deeply. It may very well be the best film that I'll ever see in 2013. Four stars out of four.