American Honey (2016)

It’s honestly irritating to the point of being painful, though I’ve come to accept her as a character—she’s perfectly fine on her own—but what really grinds my gears is how the plot just stagnates for three hours; in reality, there isn't even a plot... they just travel around selling magazines... okay, and...?

I spent two full days watching this film, and I simply cannot fathom why everyone is calling it a masterpiece...

Lawrence Edwards58 said:It’s irritating as hell, honestly—but I’ve accepted her as a character. She’s fine. My main issue is that the plot just sits there for three hours. Actually, there isn't even a plot. They travel around selling magazines... okay, and then what?

Wait, didn't you watch Certain Women twice??🤔

The movie flew by for me. Sure, the soundtrack sucked me in a bit, but I still found it interesting because I viewed it through the lens of her coming of age. At the start, Star decides she's done worrying about kids—she can't handle the responsibility because, frankly, she's still a kid herself. So, for a change, someone else takes care of her—her boss.
Then she falls in love and tries to break out of that passive state, which leads to disappointment, so she ultimately decides to stay in that community because, at that moment, she just can't handle freedom. Because of that, I didn't really care much about the other characters or how they were written. 😁

hollowowl15 said:Wait, didn't you watch Certain Women twice already??🤔

The film seemed to pass by quite quickly for me; granted, the soundtrack was somewhat hypnotic, but I found it engaging enough simply because I viewed it as a study of her maturation process... At the start, Star decides she’s done with the responsibility of looking after children—she just can't deal with it because, in many ways, she’s still a child herself—so, for once, someone else takes care of her, acting as the authority figure...
Then she falls in love and tries to break out of that passive state, which leads to a certain disappointment, eventually prompting her decision to remain within that community because, at that specific moment in her life, she simply isn't equipped to handle true freedom... So, personally, I wasn't particularly concerned with the other characters or how they were fleshed out... 😁

It actually grows on me more upon a second viewing. It follows a similar pattern to what you're suggesting: three women, three distinct narratives; one whom the director clearly cares most about (the rancher and the teacher), one used to channel specific messages toward the audience (the lawyer and the loser), and then that beautiful, atmospheric episode featuring Michelle Williams, an old man, some stones, and the building of a house...

American media:
I follow your logic, but you can't have a character without their environment; there has to be interaction, and if she fell for one person, what does that mean for everyone else?...
For instance, I'm genuinely curious as to why they all stay loyal to the boss, when not a single one of them seems to leave...

Lawrence Edwards58 said:American media:
I get what you're saying, really—but you can't have a character without an environment. There have to be interactions. She fell for one guy, sure, but what about everyone else?
Personally, I’m dying to know why they all just stick by the boss lady. Not a single one of them leaves...

Because they're sheep—they can't handle anyone actually leaving. But honestly, the more interesting part is why *she* doesn't leave. It's like how the boss takes care of them; Star is basically hunting for someone to look after because that's her only way out of their little bubble. She's got this nurturing streak—look at how she looked after those kids, or saved those animals on the road, or even stepped up to protect him when that client was giving him trouble. She can't break away on her own.

hollowowl15 said:It’s because they’re just sheep, really, and they simply lack the capacity to handle someone leaving... But what I find far more compelling is the fact that she isn't actually departing. Much like how the boss (in her own way) looks after them, Star seems to be searching for someone to care for, perhaps because that’s the only way she can truly break free from their little community. She has this innate nurturing quality—the same instinct that led her to protect those children, save those animals on the road, and act so defensively toward him when he was facing down that potential client. She can't make the exit on her own...

Her characterization is solid enough, I suppose, but the subplot involving the boss is riddled with holes; there's just something missing there...
I’m feeling a bit uneasy about A. Arnold; honestly, both of her previous films were significantly better than this one...

Lawrence Edwards58 said:Her character setup works fine, but the whole subplot with the boss? Total plot hole—something's just missing there.
I'm worried, honestly. Arnold—both her previous movies were better than this one.

The boss is an interesting character, but I don't see any holes here. She functions as the foil to the group, and that tension between the boss and the crew is exactly what’s needed to shake up Star and provide some actual momentum to the plot.

They’re essentially urban nomads—a depiction of the "tribe" concept that cultural theorists love to pitch as an alternative to our dominant sedentary society. It’s that tired, romanticized notion of returning to some "primal" nomadic way of life; they’re basically urban guerrillas...

Just one observation: it took Star two-thirds of the movie before she finally joined them in singing one of those brainwashing little tunes—much like every other song in this film. It seems it took her quite a while to actually buy into the concept...

And then comes the final initiation—that ultimate sign of belonging and devotion to the tribe (which, by the way, operates on mutual solidarity rather than competition). Everyone dancing around a campfire and getting baptized in water—it’s just pure Neo-Paganism mixed with Hollywood sludge.

All in all, the film is a massive failure on every single level.

Even at three hours long, I was hooked... not a single dull moment. It’s got that youthful, modern, slightly experimental road movie vibe going for it. Everything just clicks. A solid four stars, definitely worth a watch

This movie gave me major Lana Del Rey music video vibes... like, really strong ones. Nothing groundbreaking or anything—just stuff you’ve already seen in those Lana Del Rey clips 😁—but it was still a decent watch. Plus, I have a massive thing for LaBeouf. He's just hot.

hollowowl15 said:The boss is certainly an interesting figure, though I don't see any glaring plot holes here. She functions essentially as the antithesis to that little clique, and that specific tension between the authority figure and the group is exactly what’s needed to stir up some instability within Star... providing a necessary catalyst for movement...

Don't you think that scene where the boss is in bed with someone just as Star walks in feels a bit forced and unnecessary? It's not like Star was born yesterday; she isn't going to be shocked by hearing the boss say she doesn't give a damn about anyone and that she's done playing games with them all. Star has likely been aware of this reality for quite some time without needing anyone to spell it out explicitly... that particular moment just felt a bit clumsy to me...

Seriously? I thought it was totally delusional to think those two would just hook up and then immediately go house hunting in some leafy suburb together...

It is quite curious how I managed to sit through two hours and fifteen minutes of cinema, only to shut it off and never once consider revisiting it; after all, why should I care whether any of those characters met a tragic end or found redemption?
And judging by the comments here, it seems I haven't missed much at all. What is truly exhausting is that those two hours and fifteen minutes weren't even boring—they were engaging, which almost makes the sheer indifference I felt toward them even more profound.

Rachel Young3 said:Really? I honestly thought it was pure delusion to imagine they’d just sleep together and then immediately go house hunting for some cozy little cottage in the suburbs...

I suppose you have to be about thirteen years old to actually buy into that fantasy, but hey, to each their own... though that whole "dream house" bit sounds like just another one of his tall tales he uses to charm housewives while he's passing through town...

Lawrence Edwards58 said:So you don't think the scene where the boss is in bed with someone else while Star walks in is forced or unnecessary? It's not like Star was born yesterday—she's known the boss's "I don't give a damn about anyone" attitude for a while now without needing it spelled out explicitly. That whole part just rubbed me the wrong way.

But the way she burst into the house with those three and acted like she was totally clueless? It felt like she was born this morning.😁

hollowowl15 said:But honestly, seeing how she stormed into that house with those three and just let loose... it was like watching someone who was born again this morning 😁

I mean, seriously? How does she just jump into cars with everyone like that? It makes no sense... 🙂

Rachel Young3 said:I mean, seriously, how does he just walk up to anyone and jump into their cars like that... 🙂

That’s exactly what happens when an author becomes far too precious with their protagonist... they end up handing them a thousand opportunities to succeed without ever actually letting them face any real consequences. It’s honestly exhausting to watch. A character needs to step up and actually live through their own life; you can't just hover over them like some neurotic old lady protecting a porcelain doll...

Paul Rogers94 said:I don't have the energy or the inclination to write a full critique right now, so I'm just reposting what I've already said elsewhere. I'll take the first opportunity to provide a more detailed analysis once I'm in a better headspace. Until then;

Watching a handful of shallow idiots who think they’re having a good time—filled with pathetic, infantile sentimentality and cheap sex—is grueling for nearly three hours. This movie is only "cool" if you find these morons cool. The soundtrack just highlights how washed their brains are. The whole thing feels like an assault; it was an absolute joke of a masterpiece.

Paul Rogers94 said:You don't need to be Sherlock Holmes to see this film is nothing more than mindless fodder for provincial YouTube intellectuals.

Paul Rogers94 said:They act as urban nomads, representing a tribal concept that cultural theorists often propose as an alternative to our dominant sedentary society. It's a romanticized idea of returning to a "primitive" nomadic lifestyle; they are essentially urban guerrillas...

I should note that it took Star two-thirds of the movie before she joined them in singing some brainwashing tune, much like all the other songs in this film. It took her quite a while to buy into the concept...

Then comes the final initiation, the confirmation of belonging and devotion to the tribe (which operates on mutual solidarity rather than competition)—everyone dancing around a fire and being baptized in water (pure neo-pagan elements mixed with Hollywood trash).

Ultimately, the film is a massive failure on every level.

We definitely need to check if there are any other threads about this movie, either in reviews or the festival discussions, to see if Paul Rogers94 hasn't already dumped his entire opinion on it here.🙏

much ado about nothing👍

frozenskipper12 said:It’s funny—I actually sat through two hours and fifteen minutes of this thing, turned it off, and I don't think I'll ever touch it again. Honestly? I just couldn't bring myself to care what happened to any of those characters in the end.
And looking at the comments here, it seems I didn't miss much. The worst part isn't even that it was bad—it wasn't even boring, per se—it's just that it felt completely inconsequential. Like, who cares?

🤣
I had the exact same experience. Somewhere around the two-hour mark, I just hit the power button and called it a day. Done.

Just binged this from start to finish. It’s a solid road movie—total drama about a lost generation—and I spent the whole damn time on edge wondering if Star was gonna bail or just stage a coup against her boss, but she ends up joining the crew, which... yeah, honestly, I can live with that ending.
Plot hole alert: where the hell did Shia LaBeouf get that bloody face when Star showed up right after that scene with the guy in the countryside? Makes zero sense.
The soundtrack is absolute garbage, though I guess if you're into R&B, you might actually dig it.