Spring Breakers (2012) User Reviews

An unpleasant nightmare.

[Sergeant_Tibbs · 5/10 · 22 August 2013]

Harmony Korine is a strange one. I've seen 3 of his other films, Gummo, Mister Lonely and Julien Donkey Boy and I thought they were decent to good. I can often see what he's trying to do but its lack of character and substance hurts it. Spring Breakers is perhaps his most mainstream effort given the concept, stars and the slick production but it's probably his least interesting. With MTV style cinematography and editing, a dubstep soundtrack and drama distant from the camera, the result is an unpleasant nightmare. I'm not sure who this film is aiming at, the type of person the film is about or the art-house crowd where the the techs are the furthest to their taste? It wants to be a comment on contemporary party culture but its unrealistic characters make it unbearably tedious. Every time a character starts to becomes sympathetic, they leave the film, and far too easily at that. Why are we even trapped in this nightmare if the characters are deliberately raising the stakes? It's a film that relishes on forced juxtapositions such as singing Britney Spears over robberies and it ends up obvious or pointless, nulling its effect. I still don't really know what to make to Spring Breakers but it definitely isn't my thing.

5/10

Looks like an extended music video

[rubenm · 5/10 · 23 March 2013]

This is a strange film. On the one hand, it looks likes an extended music video, filled with mindless scenes of teenagers having one big party. On the other hand, there's clearly more to it. Some characters are so one-dimensional and cartoon-like, that the whole film becomes a sort of mockery of the modern teenage culture. This ambiguity is very clever, because the film appeals to a teenage audience as well as to the art-house audience Harmony Korine is usually associated with.

But at the same time, this ambiguity stands in the way of 'Spring Breakers' being a really good film. Unlike other serious movies about teenage culture, like 'Thirteen', 'Ghost World', Korine's own 'Kids' or the recent 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower', this film looks too easy. The temptation of showing lots of girls in bikini has been stronger than the ambition of trying to tell something meaningful.

Still, there are some nice moments. The hold-up in the restaurant is beautifully filmed from the window of a car slowly passing by. It's nice that, later on in the film, the director shows some short moments of what happened inside the restaurant. I would have liked more ambitious film making like that, and less footage of wild parties.

Too Much Style, Not Enough Content.

[meggz3 · 4/10 · 23 October 2012]

Want to see a film about Spring Breakers turning into hard core gangsta b*****s? Right, neither did I. And yes, the slang spelling of gangster is totally mandatory in this situation.

If you haven't heard of Spring Breakers, I'm sure you will soon largely due to the hype it's generating because of its cast. Spring Breakers follows Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, and Rachel Korine on their spring break in sunny Florida. In order to get there, the girls rob a local restaurant and the trip that follows is a bit more outrageous than the girls expect. Yes, it contains your typical 'spring break' parties, but along with the drugs and alcohol, the girls find themselves in the company of a local arms dealer (James Franco). The path that follows isn't what the girls had planned, and may be a little too much for some of them.

Now, I wanted to like this movie. Honestly, I really did. But there were too many things I couldn't quite handle, like a strange musical moment where Franco serenades the girls with an oh too popular Britney Spears song. Yes, that did happen, and no I will not get back those 3 minutes of my life.

I will give the film credit in a lot of areas. Personally, I found Director/Writer Harmony Korine unique and the film pushes most of the cast members (Hudgens, Gomez and Benson in particular) out of their stereotypes, and in a strange way, that worked. The problem was I wasn't sold on the plot. As the girl's 'adventure' with Franco continues, I lost interest. Yeah, I could buy the coming of age bits, but the whole 'party girls turning into James Franco's hardcore gangsta b*****s' bit was too ridiculous for me. I understand that there are probably a lot of 'deep' factors in this film that a lot of critics are going to obsess over, but personally, I couldn't overlook the ridiculousness of some moments enough to appreciate that other side of the film.

Basically, if you want my advice, this movie isn't for your average film goer. If you want something you can sit and enjoy, skip this in theaters, and ignore it by the time it pops up on Netflix. And if you were curious about it because your buddy told you Vanessa Hudgens boobs are in it, you were lied to my friend. Completely lied to.

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Boring, pointless movie

[jkemmery-753-721518 · 1/10 · 14 October 2013]

In the first place, an amateur could edit this down to about 20 minutes without missing a single point in the "plot" of this movie.

4 girls go on spring break. One is a good girl, the other 3 are bad girls who rob a store to get the money to go. Somehow, these amateur college girl armed robbers get away with the crime and use the money to go on spring break. While there they get busted for possession and then bailed out by gangster/rapper/drug dealer "Alien" played by James Franco who utilizes a horrid and wavering Florida White Trash accent. The good girl leaves the party to go back home. The other three are then threatened by Alien's rival and one is shot in the arm. She leaves. The other two along with Alien vow revenge. We hear phone conversations between the girls and their parents where they say they had an "amazing" time and how "this had made them want to be the best person they can be" The two remaining girls and Alien board a cigarette boat, go to the gangster's home wearing bikinis and ski masks, Alien is killed immediately, and the two college girl/spring breakers armed only with handguns (and no place to keep a spare clip), kill an entire house full of armed criminals including Alien's main rival in a surreal scene shown to a soundtrack full of black light effects. That one scene is actually kind of a cool scene, as improbable as it is, but still highly ridiculous.

The final scene shows them driving off in the rival drug dealer's Lamborghini.

That's the plot. I'm not sure what it is supposed to mean, if it is supposed to mean anything at all.

Outside the plot are various scenes of spring break partying, drug use, and one scene where Franco fellates the silenced handguns of two of the girls. It made me cringe, but was memorable. Overall the movie is just slow. Lots of scenes of the Florida sunset and palm trees overlaid with Franco/Alien's horrid accented voice saying in a half whisper "Spring Break, Spring Break, Spriiing Breaaaak Foreveeerr".

I'm all for movies without a real point, and done stylistically, so long as they don't become plodding and boring along the way. This one does, as though we will be treated to some kind of a point. No point here. A few party scenes, some naked breasts, some drug use, some gun play, but no real plot and not enough "fun" to make the movie worthwhile. Either make it fun and pointless or have a point at the end. This movie is boring and pointless.

Time you won't get back

[conor-latimer · 1/10 · 5 April 2013]

You ever had that feeling where you cannot wait for something to end and feel like tearing your own eyes out? if not then I highly recommend this hour and a half orgy of neon lights, dub step, drugs, boobs and James Franco being gangsta.

My expectations going into this was fairly high reading some reviews and watching the trailer. The idea of college students looking for the thrill of spring break and a chance to go wild and party with an added twist of falling in with a drug dealer/white rapper.

* BELOW THERE MAY BE SPOILERS!! IF YOU WANT TO SEE THIS FILM DO NOT READ!!!*

I was VERY!! unprepared for the hour and a half of strung out nothingness I endured. The first half hour sets up the story of four college girls bored in their small town who want adventure and to live the spring break life (3 sluttier 1 good girl) who go to extremes in order to gain money to make it to their goal through armed robbery of a small diner which apparently has quite a lot of money in the till and the 3 wallets they get away with. Long story short the girls get to spring break cue long sequences of heavy drinking and drug use with half naked girls.

The girls get arrested and bailed out by the whitest gangsta (James Franco) Alien who talks and talks to the girls about his thug life blah blah blah more long scenes where the lines are repeated and the scenes jump back and fourth.

Big surprise the 'good girl' freaks out and goes home... bye bye leaving her three best friends with the very reliable and definitely not creepy Alien who takes the girls under his wing and back to his armory of a home where he explains how much he has.. guns, knives, Calvin Klein... the usual.

The highlight if I can call it that is when for some reason Franco decides to serenade the girls on his piano to the sound of Britney spears... cue montage of violence you thought would be a bigger part of the film but really wasn't.. this was obviously enough for some movie goers as they promptly got up and left the cinema, I really should have followed.

The final half hour of this film was even more repeating lines back and forth scenes all leading up to a climactic shootout... well a slow build up to two of the girls in glowing bikinis and pink unicorn balaclavas shooting their way into kill a man in his own hot tub (because he used to be Aliens friend but now they are rivals.... doesn't really matter). you would really think Alien would be there shooting up the place to wouldn't you? well he would have been if he didn't get shot in the head by the first guy they come across.

All in all this film probably does have a message or may be seen as some kind of arty piece but you are too bored to think or care.

an honest and unsuspecting message for our generation

[kathleen-t-mueller · 7/10 · 24 July 2013]

Spring Breakers highlights the mindless popular culture that surrounds youth of this generation. The reason for its controversy stems from the fact that its target audience found its plot to be pointless, even though that was the point. This film depicts the shallowness of the modern definition of what is 'cool', like idolizing people that suck, those that contribute nothing to society but cheap entertainment. This sort of fascination blindly controls youth, the main reason so many did not understand the meaning behind this movie: they are blind to its influences. They think week long drinking binges, whoring themselves out, and having no goals is cool, because YOLO. However, this film is based off of these components and its audience deems the plot as pointless. Funny. Spring Breakers is like this generation looking itself directly in the mirror.

Overall, Spring Breakers is full of outstanding graphics, bright colors, provocative scenes, and young Disney turned Hollywood stars. It was fun yet hard to watch, depending how serious of a reality check you need (assuming you even understood that it was one)

The rating must be a joke, one of the worst films in years

[vic_j · 2/10 · 26 June 2013]

I rarely write reviews it's been ages since the last one but am writing this to vent out some frustration. To think this film currently has a 6.3 rating and generally favourable reviews elsewhere is really strange. There is booze, sex and drugs but you need something of substance to make even a half decent film, this doesn't even come close.

Acting is poor, girls are largely annoying and there is nothing happening whatsoever, it makes no sense, it just dwells on the over importance of spring break, there is no character development and it's a total waste of time, I was bored. It plods along pointlessly for an hour gets decent for 10 minutes and finishes off with a meaningless ending.

I haven't seen After Earth and yes it may be disappointing but it will never be this bad, it's a shame a film like that would get such bad reviews, I mean at least they have tried something, Spring Breakers doesn't even do that, the plot has more holes than a string vest.

If I was to think about a top 10 worst films list this would most likely be on it, it is definitely one of the worst I have seen in years I would have gave it a 1 but it does have a catchy soundtrack for the younger crowd, some scenes are well shot and James Franco does pretty well for his part which does however start becoming repetitive like everything else due to the poor script. Very overrated not everyone will agree but I'm sure some will, especially if they have seen or watch after this review.

Such a wonderful nightmare!

[toinou328 · 9/10 · 4 July 2013]

I don't even know where to begin...

Harmony Korine is a true artist. That might be where to start, because everyone seems to diss this film and its director, and I'm here to disagree. He kept his style, and that's why I loved it! Most people who went to see this probably didn't know anything about him and also probably didn't care about who he was or what he had done before... The guy wrote the 1995 drama "Kids" directed by Larry Clark, which was the most controversial film of that year, dealing with hard and difficult themes to portrait on film (such as teenage, sex, drugs, street life etc...) and treating of problems people didn't want to face. But Larry Clark's documentary and realistic style made the movie look like an open critic of this generation to the world, and was therefore more accepted by critics. In 1997 Korine then directed the very strange independent film "Gummo", which didn't really have any scenario, just a presentation of a little town in Ohio and its very bizarre set of characters... But the movie was still pretty good because of its weird and sentimental atmosphere mixed with documentary-style filming. He also made other independent films, but all of them always stayed in the "weird" and "unknown" section of DVD libraries.

Here Korine has grown up and gained more experience with the years. This is by far his most accomplished work, but unfortunately by distributing this movie to a bigger audience, he encountered a lot of criticism and hate, just because more people saw and discovered his style. I am afraid that most people today just watch films to have something to watch. Movies nowadays are being more consumed and less actually watched and thought-over. The poster and the trailer for this film were a parody of these easy-selling films that the Hollywood industry makes every year, who don't have anything particularly original (and that's on ALL levels : directing, script, acting, score are all very similar to any other film made by the studio), but instead of seeing the parody of these posters with those good-looking girls, people took it seriously and thought this was just going to be another teen movie about spring break with some fancy action scenes and a seen-before plot. But no, this was something NOBODY could've see coming... or at last not general, ordinary, image-dose seeking spectator.

Now lets actually talk about the film, I kind of got lost here! First things first : the cinematography and the look of this film are amazing. Even if you didn't like it, you can't say that this wasn't beautifully shot and crafted. The camera work is probably the best I've seen in a long time, and the neon colors add a really good look, which contributes to the atmosphere the film is trying to have. Then, the acting is great. James Franco totally takes his character to another level, even thought Korine has done an amazing job with this one, as he often never disappoints when it comes to characters. The girls are good too, and I was really surprised by Selena Gomez. Now comes the score and music : noting to say, absolutely brilliant! All songs fit perfectly to the scenery of spring break, blending Skrillex with hardcore hip-hop but also getting on the sensitive and emotional side sometimes with a Britney Spears cover (seems like she actually made some good songs) an awesome atmospheric score by Cliff Martinez, as always (he did the score for Drive and Only God Forgives) and of course putting Ellie Goulding's Lights in there, just brilliant!

Now, some parts of this films aren't perfect, this isn't the best movie ever made or anything, but it is true work of art and not just a mix of drugs, sex, profanity and violence made by a crazy director in order to sell it. No, this is a very well-thought film, made by a director who actually has the balls to keep his own style no matter the audience is, and who uses sarcasm and reversed psychology in its storytelling in order to transmit its message, which (lets be honest) isn't the most common way to do things in modern American cinematographic industry...

To sum it up, this was an extremely underrated movie, mostly watched by a lot of dumb teens and young adults who thought it was just going to be another Hollywood style flick starring old Disney actresses who want to break their image, but instead of that they got a weird art-house film that didn't follow the "rules" of the filmmaking industry and therefore disappointed them because it wasn't particularly funny in the way that most films are, and it showed sex, drugs and violence in a real, strange, and (too) explicit way for them to enjoy. Hopefully there are still some real cinema lovers out there who recognize the true value of this film. To them I say keep good and interesting movies alive but watching them, and to Harmony Korine, I just want to say thank you and bravo, for having the guts to put out on screen such a wonderful nightmare!

Terrence Malick's Girls Gone Wild

[themissingpatient · 7/10 · 19 July 2013]

Faith, played by Selema Gomez, and her three very close friends plan to escape their boring college dorm lives to attend a massive Spring Break party. In order to pay for their getaway, her three friends commit an unthinkable act of terror. Their Spring Break vacation turns out to be a non-stop party of drunken drug use and sexual perversion that lands them in prison. This is when Alien, played by James Franco, bails them out and a new type of party begins.

With a dub-step softcore porn music video opening sequence, it is uncertain if Spring Breakers is glorifying the demoralizing activities portrayed or if it is a satire. Even when the film is not flashing to what looks like stock footage of a Girls Gone Wild Spring Break special and we are with the girls, the framing seems to have been done by a sex addict. This will be one of the most uncomfortable experiences Selema Gomez's fans will ever experience. For parents, this will be an absolute nightmare. Younger male audiences, on the other hand, will think they've found their new favorite movie. When the girls are introduced to Alien the film feels like it gets a new director. The feeling of a Girls Gone Wild narrative feature film is lost and we are filled with a great sense of dread. Who is this guy who calls himself Alien? We even find ourselves afraid to find out what he has planned for these young girls he has bailed out of prison.

As we continue through the second half of the film, it becomes very clear that we are in fact watching a satire. A horrific and effective satire. This is done though exposing the character of Alien and much credit must be given to James Franco, this is him at his best. Through the course of the film we go from fearing him, to laughing at him, to feeling sorry for him. The film is worth watching just for Franco's performance. The girls do an excellent job as well. These are easily two of the most frightening female characters ever put on-screen.

Spring Breakers is written and directed by Harmony Korine, the writer of Kids and director of Gummo. If you've seen anything he has written or directed you already know what you are in for. It has the core of a Natural Born Killers story wrapped in layers of what would be if Terrence Malick directed Girls Gone Wild.

What ends up becoming an annoying distraction is the repetition of dialogue we hear over and over again, playing in a loop. It's understood we are in the girl's shoes, things are spiraling out of control and the editing helps get that across. Some of it works but in the end, we've heard the same things so many times it is as if Korine is hammering the message of his satire into our heads, almost desperate to prove it has a point. Through the story it's meaning is made clear, no reason to over-use certain Malick-like editing techniques to over-state what the story has already made obvious.

The core story is genius. The way in which the story is told is split between things that play out like a master at work and a new filmmaker still experimenting.

Felt like I was in the Twilight Zone

[dizzylehr · 1/10 · 23 March 2013]

I was a big fan of "Kids" and expected the same amount of intellectually subtle social commentary in this movie. I could not wait to get out of the theater.. If I had not paid so much for my ticket, I would have gotten up and left halfway through the movie. IT IS AWFUL! It is astonishing to me that this generation finds a movie this horribly scripted, filmed, and thought-out to be good. It is not controversial, racy, or thought- provoking. It gives no insight, message, or underlying theme. It isn't that I do not like controversial, bad-ass, or vulgar films.. I do. This film offered none of that! I love films that give insight into a generation or group of people that others do not generally interact with; but this movie did not even accurately portray these things. I want this movie to get buried forever.

Completely blindsided by this film

[ethanbresnett · 8/10 · 3 July 2022]

I watched this film on Amazon Prime where its genres are listed as "comedy, drama", which does such a huge disservice to what this film is.

It is in no way a comedy at all so get that idea out of your head before you watch this film. In reality it is a dark crime drama which has an incredible tone and vibe to it.

At times tone and vibe are favoured over plot and storytelling, but having digested this film a bit I don't think I mind. There were some wildly good visuals in this film and the direction from Harmony Korine was top notch.

I loved the performances from all of the cast. Franco's character was very out there but it worked in the context of the film.

A wildly underrated film which was probably hampered by the fact that people were expecting a frat bro comedy, when in actuality this is a much more elevated and stylish affair.

A Surreal Mind-Trip into the Seedier Side of Spring Break

[brando647 · 7/10 · 13 September 2013]

Can someone explain to me why SPRING BREAKERS was in the comedy section of my local department store? I can only imagine how many people saw this movie sitting on the shelf with it's cover portraying Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine, and James Franco in beach-mode and thought, "Well this movie looks like a fun time! It's like THE HANGOVER for the Disney crowd!" I am, of course, assuming that the majority of people buying movies from my local department stores are fools who aren't familiar with movie ratings or aware of movie reviews. And I'm pretty sure I'm right. Anyway, SPRING BREAKERS is not a comedy and, if it is, I missed something somewhere. This movie is a 90 minute hallucination and a rough one. It centers on four longtime friends: Candy (Hudgens), Brit (Benson), Cotty (Korine), and Faith (Gomez). Spring Break has arrived and their too poor to leave campus when everyone heads down south to the beaches of Florida for a week of insane debauchery. We receive our first hint that these girls aren't quite right when Candy, Brit, and Cotty decide to rob an all-night chicken shack for their Spring Break funds. From there, it's beaches, booze, and bongs as the girls party it up until their arrested in a narcotics bust when they're in the wrong place at the wrong time. Enter Alien…a wannabe gangster who makes his living dealing drugs and robbing spring-breakers. He bails out the girls and enlists them to join him in business, and it all goes nuts from there.

SPRING BREAKERS isn't so much a film as it is an experience. It's a visual journey, popping with neon color and thumping with an electronic soundtrack, that won't settle with most average viewers. I had a friend that wanted to see this movie purely for the bikini-clad stars but I warned him against it because I didn't want to hear the eventual complaints that he had no idea what was going on. While I'm totally cool with helping others experience new movies and different styles of filmmaking, I know there's a line and, in this instance, that line is filmmaker Harmony Korine. There is a story present in SPRING BREAKERS but it's done in such a unique and mind-bending fashion that I guarantee it'll turn a lot of people off. Personally, I enjoyed it. After I first watched it, it didn't take some processing on my part and multiple viewings have only made me appreciate it more. I'm a newbie when it comes to Harmony Korine's previous work. I've never seen KIDS or GUMMO but I've heard enough about them to know I need to check them out at some point. For now, SPRING BREAKERS is my first exposure to his work and it's got my attention. It pits a dark crime story against the vibrant energized atmosphere of the crazy college world of Spring Break. At least, the Spring Break you've seen on MTV…drunk, sexually jack-up college students going totally insane.

This is a movie about evil people. Seriously, all but one person in this movie is a sociopath. The only objectively good person in the movie bails as soon as things start going sour. The most fun is watching the dark side of these girls slowly reveal themselves as the movie goes on. You start to wonder who's really the one being manipulated: these girls or Alien? You know they're not your average college hotties early on when you see how easily crime comes to them, but you don't realize how cold they can be. Despite the girls' rapid descent into the seedier side of Spring Break, the violence isn't over-the-top here. The nudity is…so, you know, this really isn't for the actual longtime fans of people like Hudgens and Gomez. This is their attempt at breaking free from their Disney Channel roots. Hudgens had some success with her turn in SUCKER PUNCH but this secures it. I'm pretty sure pot-smoking and threesomes are a surefire way to bust out of that mold. Gomez doesn't go as nuts here but she's still doing her best to be seen as an actual actress. The performances are pretty good for what they are. James Franco has been receiving a lot of praise for his role as Alien. Honestly, he annoyed me the first time I watched the movie. Horribly. But it wasn't his performance, it's just that people like the grate on my nerves. Franco does a great job here, and it's one of his most strange performances.

SPRING BREAKERS isn't for everyone and I'd hope most people would know what they're settling in for if they decide to watch it. It's a gritty, surreal film with some nice eye candy and a foreboding atmosphere playing against the Spring Break wonderland we all envision when we think of college co-eds going nuts. It's a refreshing change from the usual mainstream release, even if it can be a little frustrating to watch at times.

Deepthroating Silencers

[wadethegrenade · 1/10 · 26 March 2013]

I have seen a lot of movies in my life. I very rarely regret seeing them. I wasted 94 minutes of my life watching spring breakers. This movie did not have a plot. At first they were in college complaining about being from a small town. All of a sudden they were in Florida hanging out with some guy named alien, while he's deep throating gun silencers. Selena Gomez goes home after like 30 minutes, and one girl gets shot in the arm. Then, the two of the girls still hang out with James Franco, and end up killing Gucci mane in the end. Anyone who gave this movie a good review should has horrible taste in movies. How anyone thought this movie was good eludes me. People were laughing in the theater, and this wasn't supposed to be a comedy. See a good movie instead, I wish I could have those 94 minutes of my life back. I could've been bettering myself, running for president, or riding unicorns, instead of watching Vanessa hudgens wear a pink ski mask and shoot Gucci mane in the head

Unbelievable

[ForDNiners · 1/10 · 29 March 2013]

This is the worst movie I have ever watched on the big screen. This is my first review for a movie and I am sharing my opinion towards this movie because I don't want anyone to waste their time watching this.

So basically the story is about four college girls that are massive partiers who want to escape reality and go somewhere for Spring Break. But wait, they don't have enough money to go anywhere so they steal it; they use that money to go to Florida, to party! Then the girls are like, "I love it out here, it is so much different from reality." In my head I was like "what?" all you did back in college was do drugs and party anyway. Then they all get caught up with a gangster and things go crazy. Selena Gomez leaves first, then the girl with the pink hair leaves second, after realizing that they are getting caught up in some crazy stuff with a gangster. Later on guns go off, people die, the end.

So is there a message in this movie? The message is that over time you will find yourself reflecting upon your past actions (crazy actions in the case of this movie)and realize that what you have done was horrible. The message was shallowly portrayed in this disgusting movie. For one, there was this one scene that was repeated like 10 times, and other scenes were repeated multiple times as well. The line "Spring break forever" was repeated like a million times. The action was horrendous and the comedy... hmmm, there was none of that. This movie was like one of those annoying pop songs that repeat the same line over and over again and which are meaningless as well. The script of this movie was so dull and ridiculous. This movie could have been like thirty minutes shorter if they hadn't repeated the same thing over and over and over again. The only reason I watched the whole thing is because my friends wanted to watch it. If you want to watch a fake party, and the four main girls doing ridiculous everything for an hour, watch it.

This movie sucks.

[preppyprincess713 · 1/10 · 22 June 2013]

This was a terrible movie and I cannot I believe i wasted 94 minutes of my life watching it. The acting was terrible and all you see is boobs and naked butt. There is no plot and no reason to watch it. If you want to waste time you could do it doing anything but watching this stupid movie. I thought that since this movie had a lot of well known actors like James Franco, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, and Vanessa Hudgens that it would have some sort of quality but I was wrong. After completing this movie I sat in silence for 10 minutes wondering that it was that I just watched. It just kept dragging and dragging for no reason. There is no way to write a summary to this movie because the movie has no substance. I cannot believe this movie even came out in theaters, it is one of those movies that should have gone straight to DVD. Looks like a horny teenage boy wrote out his fantasy and turned it into a movie.

Trashy, tacky, unbelievable, but fun.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 6/10 · 29 July 2019]

Spring Breakers is one of those films, you keep wanting to switch off, but have to get to end, it's not exactly a good film, but the story is such that you have to know what comes next.

It's so outrageously over the top, that it pretty much belongs in the fantasy genre, however there are a few concepts which are sadly all too realistic.

James Franco is good, but is like a parrot with gold teeth, he repeats many lines over and over. Selina Gomez does a fair job.

Nonsense, but watchable, the ending is at least bold. 6/10

Awful

[ikica86 · 1/10 · 29 June 2013]

I will be short and sweet. One of the worst movies I have ever seen. Same scenes and sentences all over again and zero story. James Franco obviously had a lot of fun filming this. I can not write about acting of other so-called actresses in this movie because there was none, they all stood all the time with blank expressions on their faces, looking brain dead. What a waste of time. I have watched it until end only to see will these stupid girls get some sense in them, big surprise, no they didn't. I don't have anything else to say about this pointless movie, maybe some advice if you want to see movie full of violence with a story and a point go rent Natural born killers.

Are you not entertained?

[smellyville90 · 8/10 · 10 July 2013]

I have to say, that watching this movie was a total spur of the moment decision on my part and I walked into this completely unaware of what I was getting into. While watching it, I felt my senses were assaulted, but there was more to it than what I was able to discern viscerally. Therein lies the greatness of this movie. It makes you think about what images are being thrown at you and why. The image is obviously that of what the youth of our age are sold as 'the good life': money, drugs, sex and partying. This is the American Dream. This movie follows 4 girls who do despicable acts, who behave with such depravity and who are shallow to the core, that watching this can be painful at times. But that is the whole point and people who walk out of this feeling as though they have had their time robbed of them or are too disgusted by what they see are missing the point. I am not an elitist movie critic in no sense of the word either, but I know a shock movie when I see one.

I have to say that visually this movie is beautiful (and no, I am not referencing the nudity here, ha-ha). It is a dark, dreamy, neon- nightmare. I give credit to the movie for this because it is candy for the eyes. Production wise this movie is solid, as is the direction. You feel as if you are in a dream, with it's poignant use of slow motion, and I suppose that is the effect they were looking to achieve. In this aspect they succeeded with flying colours - literally. There's also a beautifully crafted scene during their robbery of a restaurant that features one of the girls rolling the car around the building, catching glimpses of what they were doing inside. A very good piece of cinematography.

The cast were great too. I can't really say too much for the female cast as they did all act well in their respective roles. James Franco on the other hand really stood out and delivered a superb performance in what I would say is one of his more challenging roles, because the character himself is just so unlikable and unlike anyone he has portrayed before. He definitely made this movie, and without him in it it would seem to be missing a magic ingredient. Time and again Franco proves his worth as one of the great actors of his generation. He obviously knew that this movie's worth exceeded the majority of our expectations.

It seems the point of this film is lost upon most, which is a shame, though I can understand why. On the surface this appears to be a shallow and uninspiring piece of crap theatre with no motive beyond showing us some tits and ass. It is so much more. I love movies that make me think, even if they are at the time disturbing to watch. Well, this is what we are supposed to enjoy watching, after all. This is what our media, our 'culture', our idols depict as the epitome of what constitutes the good life. We are told to live our youth to the full. Is this not what they do throughout the movie? Are you not entertained? No?

Isn't that just it though? The truth hurts. This is the truth of what our youth aspire to. Sad, ain't it. Maybe I should give this a 1 star rating. I'm sure that's what the director would want me to do.

You either like it or you don't

[Jayowend · 6/10 · 2 July 2013]

An …interesting film.

Straight off the bat you can tell it has a huge appeal to the male demographic lol, but if you just want to see this for the partying, boobs, bikinis, and women.. well that stuff is definitely there but you'll probably be bored by the 30-minute mark and want to stop watching (unless you're into watching all that alcohol-drenched grinding chugfest). I have to say it started off pretty slow and boring, and the story only really starts to pick up after you've watched halfway through. Spring Breakers is labeled as a comedy/drama, and even though I kinda smiled at a few parts, it really wasn't a comedy. It was more of a dark/artistic drama. So if you're thinking of watching it for the laughs, I'd reconsider if I were you!

For those of you who haven't seen it, all I have to say is that it's a bizarre movie which, if you can make yourself look past the 'shallow' part of the film and accept that yes, it does seem to glorify a bunch of skin-clad women, drugs, guns, gangsters, the 'American Dream' (which is essentially what its whole premise is built around), then you'll be able to see a lot more in the story in terms of a message or even a subtle 'reality check' of the kind of mentality some teenagers face in a generation like this. Now if you're watching the trailer and you're thinking this is just another one of those films that sells sex appeal, well, you are partly right. But nevertheless there are still a few surprisingly beautiful moments/scenes in between all the hardcore partying (that pretty much only happens in the first half of the film): like the majestic, almost bonfire-like dance done by the spring breakers wearing pink balaclavas and holding semi-automatic rifles to the tune of James Franco playing Britney Spears' "Everytime" on a white piano in his sea-side estate backyard. It was definitely bizarre, and it was beautiful. I also want to point out that there is a lot of music in this, and I can see why many people think this movie is just an over-lengthy music video haha. I really liked the 'dark' parts of the film though, when the party-vibe dies down, when the music becomes a little gloomier, the characters; a little more confused.. it brings out that contrast between the oh-so-lively, crazy, fun, wild party scenes and that back-to-reality/'what-do-we-do-now' feeling.

I feel like I can understand why a lot of people absolutely hated watching this. I mean yeah, if you look at it from the start and from all angles in an objective way, this film is a real mess. It really has no strong plot, tries to be realistic (documenting the exposures of teens today) and at the same time surrealistic (bikini's in court rooms?), touches on some of the most dangerous and controversial topics to bring into a film (some people automatically flip the 'no' switch when they see an insane amount of taboos in a film), and is in general a turn off to a lot of people who like to see strong, clever plots in a film. But if you can see past all that and accept it like those things were used as an art-form (even if you know they were not), then Spring Breakers becomes an experience into the lives of four young girls and their 'trip' of a lifetime. I do believe that things like what is depicted in the film (although not as extreme, but maybe?) happen in our world today so I think that it's definitely a good idea to gain some insight into the way some of today's generation think and act. I mean if you watch it and hate it, that's okay too. But I don't think it's a waste of anyone's time to find out more about where they're currently standing and how comfortable they are with regards to the topics in this film.

7/10

+1 for James Franco's convincing transformation. (I didn't even know it was him until after the movie.. haha)

so.. 8/10

Harmony Korine scams people BIG this time

[zach91419 · 1/10 · 25 March 2013]

First of all this movie was made by the guy who made Trash Humpers, so if you liked that movie you might like this one. The writing in this movie is terrible and makes no sense at all. Selena Gomez is supposed to be a very Christian girl with high morals and ends up drinking tons of alcohol, does drugs, and encourages robbery. She then tells her Grandma that she should come with her to spring break next year implying that she should drink do drugs and have sex with random people too. Selena Gomez is trying to find out who she really is during spring break and that turns out to be a drunk slut. Her friends however are far worse and apparently are now cold blooded killers. These girls in college could have a good future but decide they want to have sex with James Franco and get money in any way possible. One girl gets shot and gets afraid and goes home and the other two decide to stay. I guess they don't care if they are going to die or not. These two girls then tell their parents over the phone that they want to turn their life around and start being good people is the secret to being happy thus implying that they'll go home and start listening to their own advice and get a better life. They then proceed to magically kill tons of people with guns from a gang and steal a very expensive car. The most annoying part of this movie is the repetitiveness of everything James Franco says. That "Spring Break" line that he keeps saying that I'm sure Korine finds haunting just sounds ridiculous and annoying. I'm not sure what the message of this movie is because nothing in it makes sense and nothing is consistent. I can't tell if Korine is advocating completely hedonistic life-styles or not because while some of the girls feel bad and go back their "boring lives" the last two girls get let off with no consequence what-so-ever. This movie to me just seems like a pretentious piece of s**t. That uses a somewhat interesting premise and unique cinematography to fool the audience that more is being said with this movie than there is.

This is by far the worst movie I have ever seen and I've seen The Room, Ghost Rider 2, and Son of the Mask. Please don't waste your money on this movie unless you are a raving fan of Harmony Korine, a weird-ass hipster which would I guess would imply the former, or want to torture yourself.

A sometimes thrilling, very hypnotic, poignant piece of filmmaking.

[grounden1985 · 10/10 · 28 March 2013]

I can't describe the elation I felt leaving Spring Breakers--truly one of the best films to hit mainstream cinemas in a long time. It was a breath of fresh air amidst all the cookie cutter romantic comedies, dramas, action films, and horror movies that plague modern cinema. The stamp of a good film is the impact factor--how long it stays with you when it's over. Spring Breakers was a film that stayed with me long after leaving the theater. It didn't evaporate from my mind as soon as I hit the parking lot. This film affects you and leaves you in a mood long after the credits appear.

Those seeking a fun "party film" will be disappointed. The TV ads, poster, and cast have probably misled some viewers into thinking this is a cross between The Hangover and Project X. Don't let the cast or the marketing fool you--this is not a "feel good" movie. It's a dark, exciting, tragic look at modern youth culture that doesn't so much as revel in the pop culture sensory overload as hold up a mirror to the audience so we can see some of ourselves in these kids. And if you're like me, you'll find this kind of self-reflection very disturbing. More than once, I was disgusted and enthralled with these characters, not knowing whether I should feel amused, angry, or sad. This is truly the best deconstruction of modern culture I've seen.

The movie starts with our main quartet of female characters struggling to find a way around the fact they don't have enough money to travel to Florida for that much-hyped, almost mythical annual rite of passage nearly every college kid in the country has to face at some point: spring break. Selena Gomez is easily the most likable member of the cast--a young girl struggling to balance her Christian faith and values in the moral wasteland that is college life. One moment we see her praying in church, and the next she's passively condoning the fact that her friends have just robbed a restaurant in order to obtain the rest of the money they need to make it to Florida. In one poignant monologue, she speaks of the monotony of life and how everyone is depressed because they wake up and see the same things every day. Her desire to go on spring break is almost spiritual in nature--a soul-searching journey in which she just wants to be someone new and be free.

The spring break party scenes are manic--loud music, hypnotic imagery, and disorienting colors all come together like some kind of dream. The fun soon ends once the girls are arrested for using narcotics at a wild party. They have two options: pay a fine, or remain in jail for another two days. Out of money and unwilling to call their parents, the girls languish in jail until a mysterious visitor posts their bail. Enter James Franco as Alien, a white gangster with gold teeth, dreadlocks, and a ton of money and guns to go along with his criminal tendencies. Franco truly breaks out in this performance, becoming someone I never could have imagined he'd be able to pull off back in his Spider-Man days. His intentions are murky and the film never misses an opportunity to make us feel uncomfortable witnessing his interactions with the girls. It's at this point that the film takes a drastic turn into even darker territory, the trip slowly proving itself to be more than a few of them bargained for. Thus begins the tragic slide into the dark nature of these characters, as they find themselves participating in and doing things bound to seduce the audience into an awe-struck state more than once.

Not that any of this is told through a conventional narrative. The whole film feels like one crazy, hypnotic dream, from its use of colors to its loud, insane score that ranges from romping party fun to atmospheric, moody pieces that underline the darker moments in the film. The narrative jumps around in time and space, pasted together through flashbacks, flash forwards, and repetitive lines that linger in the back of the viewer's mind like a broken record. The cinematography is flat out excellent and the filmmakers make perfect use of the beautiful Florida scenery amidst all the sheer depravity we witness on screen, with more than a few shots of the beautiful Florida sky and sunset to remind us of our humanity.

By the time the film reaches a delirious montage of violence set to the unlikely tune of Britney Spears' song Every time, Korine has us hook, line, and sinker feeling a sense of revulsion and pity for ourselves and the world at large. Any film that can provoke this type of uncomfortable self-contemplation deserves to be praised.

In the end, I left the theater feeling like I'd just come off an intense acid trip into the darker recesses of modern culture, emotionally exhausted and ready to get in my car and drive home in silence, reflecting on what I'd just seen.

If you're not expecting to have fun and aren't afraid to look inside yourself to that aspect of your personality that craves materialism and vapid entertainment at the expense of losing some of your humanity, go and see Spring Breakers. It's truly one of the best films of 2013 (so far) and will no doubt be a cult classic in years to come. Just don't blame me if the film haunts you long after it's over.

Underrated: Captures the fragility of youth

[josephtoner · 7/10 · 2 October 2019]

This film really captures the uncertainty and insanity of youth in way that I have never seen. Really worth a watch despite the third act not being all that great.

Not worth to watch even if you have time to waste!

[rachit-nirmal · 1/10 · 5 September 2017]

'Someone' told me to watch this movie (and I am not going to forgive that someone!) if I want to relax my mind. And guess what I wanted to relax and did this mistake.

Overall you will try to find something in this movie, but till the end, it won't give you anything. You will end up in frustration by keep listening one word again and again "Spring break". Okay, we got that this movie is focused on spring break, but how much time we have to listen to just one thing again and again. Not only this, there are many scenes which keep repeating and you won't have any clue why this is happening.

NO plot, NO objective, NO story, NO script writing and they were literally out of good dialogues also. This could be one of the reasons why they just kept repeating few lines. God knows why Selena Gomez was in this movie! She hardly gets a chance to appear on the screen. 4 girls bored with their routine and want to enjoy. They rob a restaurant to get money and go to spring break. For what? For drink? Drugs? Fun? Sex? Bullshit? really? they can do all these at their college!! Why go and waste money? At the end they got nothing and we get a headache with a mixture of frustration! Overall in this movie, there is no objective getting clear, because of poor story-line and plot. There is not a single moment which you can enjoy in this movie. Dear God, give me some power to go in past and get my 94 minutes back! Believe me, that 'Someone' who suggested me to watch this movie is going to pay for this

"Natural Born Killers" wannabe

[lizithekitty · 1/10 · 22 March 2013]

Spring Breakers tries so hard to be like Natural Born Killers. It tries the hyper-violent fantastical approach. It tries the over-the-top approach. It tries the fever-dream visuals. It tries to have characters worth caring about but it fails in so many ways.

Harmoney Korine is as much of a hack as Darron Arnofsky whose films have a small, but strong cult status. The script is so childish that it seems like a 13-year old wrote it. There is nothing smart or witty about it. There is no plausibility to the characters motivations or redemption.

The acting is horrible. Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgins are atrocious. There is a reason they have not done any major Hollywood films since being Disney stars. Most Disney stars are not cut out for true acting, and it rings true here. James Franco... god what happened to him? It seems ever since he gained major popularity in the Spider-Man trilogy he has been phoning in his performances. His character is a cheap ripoff of Gary Oldman's jaw dropping Drexel in True Romance and what's sad is, Drexel isn't a pretender.

The visual style of the film is numbing. It tries to go the route of Natural Born Killers but fails. Oliver Stone's film was smart as it was a satire on media sensationalizing violence, whereas this film tries to glorify it with neon bikinis and black lights. A theme in NBK that was smartly used was the green lighting. Oliver Stone said the green lights signify the sickness that lives within Mickey and Mallory. What does the neon and black-lights in Spring Breakers represent? Nothing.

This movie is a major reason why Hollywoodnis considered a joke.

0.12 Stars if possible

[doctord-1 · 1/10 · 1 March 2022]

Quite possibly one of the worst movies in history. Not helped by the fact it tries so hard to be stylish and original, but comes off messy and confusing. God awful crap that bounces around aimlessly from the very start. Anybody who finds more than 3 stars worth in this film has obviously done more drug damage to their brain than any worthless character in it.