Why You Should Be Excited For Harmony Korine’s The Beach Bum

The indie favorite director makes his long-awaited return to unleash new provocative movie.

It’s been almost seven years since Harmony Korine lit up theaters with Spring Breakers, but he’s finally back with The Beach Bum – a movie that somehow looks even more wild (and more neon-soaked) than his previous effort. The Beach Bum features a long-haired, probably-high-most-of-the-time Matthew McConaughey, spending his days in Hawaiian shirts, a rather eccentric pair of sunglasses, and drowning himself in drugs and alcohol. McConaughey’s character, Moondog, is described as a rebellious stoner who lives life by his own rules, but a certain courtroom scene and multiple clips of a focused Moondog typing away on a typewriter shown in the trailer may prove otherwise. The comedy-classic has obviously been an influence on Korine’s new film, which is certainly a good thing.

It looks like it’ll be a colourful romp with lots of humour, provided not just by Moondog’s predictably relaxed ideology, but from a wealth of supporting characters. The cast looks incredible, and boasts talent such as Zac Efron, Martin Lawrence, Jonah Hill, Isla Fisher, and even Snoop Dogg. It’s certainly shaping to be an impressive ensemble, and we can expect them all to bring some particularly memorable characters to the screen, and surely some aspiringly iconic dialogue.

Although The Beach Bum looks like something totally different, there is undeniably a style present in the available footage we’ve seen that will likely be a hit with fans of Spring Breakers; particularly in relation to costuming and colours. This vibrant and cinematic mode hasn’t always been with Korine, with some of his previous efforts acting in defiance of the cinematic.

Along with other efforts such as Kids and his fascinating directorial-debut Gummo, Harmony Korine has proved himself as one of the most provocative filmmakers working today. The Beach Bum looks like it will be another great addition to an unusual career, and it’s already one of the most exciting films scheduled for next month. The Beach Bum will hit theaters on March 22, and you can watch its entertaining new trailer here.