Harmony Korine is a director known for his unconventional and experimental films. From his early work on Larry Clark’s “Kids” to his recent films like “Spring Breakers” and “The Beach Bum,” Korine has consistently pushed the boundaries of filmmaking. However, his latest project, “AGGRO DR1FT,” takes his unique style to a whole new level.
“AGGRO DR1FT” is not your typical movie. In fact, it’s hard to define exactly what it is. It combines elements of a movie, a video game, and a flow of hallucinatory images. The film features rapper Travis Scott as a gun-toting killer surrounded by dancing booties. Korine refers to this new style as “gamecore,” a term that accurately describes the film’s melding of different mediums.
Premiering at the Venice Film Festival, “AGGRO DR1FT” is likely to appeal to Korine’s dedicated fan base, many of whom have grown up alongside the director. However, whether it will resonate with a younger audience more accustomed to video games and TikTok remains to be seen. But Korine isn’t concerned with box office success or streaming numbers. He is simply creating the art that he wants to make.
The plot of “AGGRO DR1FT” centers around a Miami-based hitman named Bo, played by Jordi Mollà. Bo must take out an evil big boss before he becomes the boss’s next target. But plot is not the focus of the film. Instead, Korine uses visuals and sound to create a sensory experience unlike anything seen before. French cinematographer Arnaud Potier transforms the images into trippy, infrared footage, giving the film a vibrant and surreal aesthetic.
While Korine embraces the aesthetic of video games, he also seems to be mocking the gamer mentality. Mollà’s character delivers monotonous voiceovers with lines like “The old world is no more” and “I am a solitary hero.” Scott’s character appears as the assassin’s recruit, surrounded by gyrating dancers and repeating the lines “I do. I sleep.” The killing scenes, while fitting for a film about a killer, defy conventions and can be both bland and exaggerated at the same time. The film’s humor is mischievous and transgressive, poking fun at Miami’s wealthy lifestyle and the blurred lines between movies and video games.
“AGGRO DR1FT” is a liberating and boundary-pushing cinematic experience. It continues Korine’s tradition of challenging norms and experimenting with different forms of storytelling. Whether you find it exhilarating or tedious, there’s no denying that Korine is pushing the boundaries of what a film can be. So, whatever you do, don’t call “AGGRO DR1FT” a “movie.” It’s much more than that.
