American Honey (2016)

I don't even have the energy or the desire to write about this movie—so I’m just reposting what I already said in another thread. I’ll take the first chance I get when I'm in a better headspace to actually elaborate on my thoughts, but until then;

Watching a handful of shallow idiots who think they're having a blast—amidst all that pathetic, infantile sentimentality and cheap sex—is exhausting for nearly three hours. This film is only "cool" if you consider these morons cool. The soundtrack just highlights how brainwashed everyone is... the whole thing is nothing more than abuse, and frankly, it pissed me off—a total hack job of a "masterpiece."

Looks like you totally missed the point of this movie.

Here’s my take from FilmPress;

stormytinker40 said:American Honey

I didn't even know who Andrea Arnold was until I looked her up. This movie is incredible. Honestly, the title itself feels like a little jab at a commercial masterpiece like American Beauty. It’s just raw—shot with perfect cinematography using mostly amateur actors. It's honest, romantic, messy, simple, and brilliant. It makes all the right mistakes. It's imaginative, intriguing, smart, debatable, and destructive. Basically? It's just life.

Good flick.

A Star has been made.

stormytinker40 said:It looks like you completely missed the point of the movie.

You don't need to be Sherlock Holmes to see this film is nothing more than mindless filler for small-town YouTube brains.

It’s actually a bit of a shame you mentioned who this movie was dedicated to; it almost makes me like it even more. ☕

stormytinker40 said:It’s pretty clear you just didn't get the movie.

Here’s my take, based on some reviews from Rotten Tomatoes;

Is there an adjective left in the English language that you haven't already exhausted? 🤣

Jack Murphy5 said:Honestly, now that you've pointed out who this movie was actually made for, I actually like it even more. ☕

Just boil the whole message of the film down to one single, blunt sentence and everything will be crystal clear...

Great movie. It’s completely immersive and keeps you hooked from start to finish. As I mentioned previously regarding the performances, the chemistry between the two leads is palpable—you could practically cut it with a knife. What really stands out to me, though, is the characterization. There isn't a single person on screen that doesn't feel fleshed out. Even the brief interactions with minor characters feel like complete, miniature portraits. The whole thing feels incredibly authentic and human. 5+/5! 👍

This is easily one of the best films of the year. It isn't even really about nihilism—well, perhaps not any more than the world we live in already is—but rather a razor-sharp observation of a hollowed-out generation living in a place devoid of hope. As a staunch atheist, I can only say: may God help us all.

I’ll be honest—this movie didn't hit me quite as hard as it did everyone else here, and I'm not about to go calling it a masterpiece. But, given the headspace I was in when I watched it, it actually caught me totally off guard—that whole vibe of fake YOLO freedom, subtle tension, and just this laid-back energy mixed with how much those kids can genuinely irritate you. I ended up really enjoying the ride; it just "clicked" for me, which I think is everything—either you're sucked in from the jump or every little thing the characters do just grates on your nerves (which, let's face it, isn't exactly difficult here).

Even though I liked it overall—and man, the chemistry between the leads was top-tier—I still think her earlier stuff, Red Road and Fish Tank, feels a bit more solid and "complete" to me.

I’m just not seeing any of that supposed "spark" between them...
honestly, I was practically counting down the minutes until they weren't sharing the screen anymore.

that guy who paid her $1,000 just to jerk off is way too much for me to handle... 🙏

plus, the whole cowboy thing? makes zero sense to me.
that Shiite guy totally ruined the vibe when he barged in right when I was getting invested in what they were actually going to do to her after she got drunk.

Honestly, I’m just not feeling any chemistry there. She’s definitely more interesting—if anything, I would’ve rather spent more time watching the boss instead. They both play their roles almost too perfectly, like something out of a fairy tale. You’ve got the lead character feeding and rescuing animals everywhere she goes—it’s a miracle she didn't go out of her way to liberate those cows, too—while the boss is portrayed as this pure corporate predator.
And I really don't get why people are mourning, saying things like, "Oh, poor America, what have we become?" because of this brainless group. If you actually compare them to today's socially conscious, politically active youth, both groups come across as equally powerless.

Edward Ortiz77 said:I found the character development to be particularly impressive. It seems there isn't a single soul on screen that we don't learn something about... Every little interaction with the minor characters, or even those who feel more like background extras, feels like a fully realized miniature study in itself.

Meanwhile, we get an exhaustive biography of the people reading magazines, yet when it comes to the crew in the van, we’re left in total darkness until the credits roll—other than knowing they’re numerous and exist primarily to provide atmosphere while the main trio works through their drama. Given that we've been sitting through nearly three hours of this, I can't help but wish we actually knew a thing or two about them...

I’ve only caught the trailer so far—though honestly, nothing really seems to happen in it, and it comes off as a bit pretentious. I won't be too quick to judge, though—not until I actually sit down to watch it. If I even find the time—three hours is quite a commitment, isn't it?

Rachel Fowler61, you’d be much better off watching Red Road by that director; it’s actually a masterpiece...

Lawrence Edwards58 said:With those people who actually bother buying magazines, we find out almost everything. With this crew in the van, we don't learn a damn thing until the very end—aside from the fact that there are way too many of them and they spend the whole time stalling while three main characters play out their little soap opera. I’d actually love to know a few things, considering this thing drags on for nearly three hours.

Exactly.

I didn't even realize how long it was; about an hour in, I started wondering if the plot was ever going to actually kick in. Then I realized—oh, it's three hours long? Well, maybe now. Nope, still nothing.
Three hours of repetitive scenes.

I have to admit, I found myself quite fond of my fish tank for a while there.

If nothing "particularly interesting" is actually happening, then give me characters with some real substance—I want a story with some actual grit and flavor.

Red Road is easily Arnold's finest work, though I’d say Fish Tank gives it a run for its money.

I actually sat through eight straight days of American media just because I have such high regard for the director... but honestly, the lead actress—that girl with the uniquely shaped lips playing the old hero—really just coasts through the role without any real substance. There is zero character development; things start one way and end exactly the same, which makes you wonder why the thing even needed to be three hours long...

*There was one decent scene involving a thousand-dollar handjob, but that hardly compensates for a three-hour runtime.

I watched Red Road incorrectly; I actually put it on mute just to see, because now I'm genuinely curious.

Since you brought it up, I spent the entire time staring at her mouth and her smile. It was so incredibly unattractive that it actually distracted me from enjoying the movie itself. I don't think I've ever been bothered by an actor's mouth before—I’m pretty certain of that.

*Well, obviously, a little bit of self-pleasure isn't worth a thousand dollars :G