All 6 Movies Directed by Harmony Korine, Ranked

Harmony Korine is a provocative filmmaker known for his unique blend of gritty realism and surreal fantasy, along with an unconventional visual style. Since finding success in the mid-1990s with his screenplay for Kids, Korine has continuously pushed the envelope, which he seems poised to do yet again with his latest feature, Aggro Dr1ft, which has yet to receive a proper wide release. It's an experimental action movie starring rapper Travis Scott and presented entirely in infrared — so, typical Korine.

Korine's films, such as Julien Donkey-Boy, Gummo, and Spring Breakers, are usually characterized by fragmented narratives, vivid imagery, and a willingness to explore taboo subjects. In particular, Korine frequently delves into unsavory subcultures and people at the fringes. Not all of his movies succeed in this, but a few are fascinating, fun, and thoughtful, ranking among the best and most distinctive indie efforts in modern cinema.

6 'Trash Humpers' (2009)

Starring: Harmony Korine, Rachel Korine, Brian Kotzur, Travis Nicholson

This intentionally low-fi black comedy follows a group of elderly misfits who roam the city, indulging in anarchic and grotesque activities, from acts of vandalism and bullying to odd rituals. (Korine himself plays one of these characters, who explains the group's philosophy in a monologue.) There are countless grainy shots of dark alleyways and dumpsters alongside absurd, misanthropic behavior — and yes, a lot of trash humping. There isn't much of a plot, however; Trash Humpers is more of a work of visual art than a proper movie.

The shabbiness is intentional. As Korine explains: "I thought it'd be interesting to make something that resembled a found VHS tape — its logic worked as if it were found footage." The result is a chaotic collage that uses its gritty aesthetic to emphasize the movie's bleak and nihilistic themes. There are hints of redemption amidst the grimness, but they are few and far between. For this reason, Trash Humpers is Korine's weakest project. Only his diehard fans will appreciate its weirdness.

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5 'Mister Lonely' (2007)

Starring: Diego Luna, Samantha Morton, Denis Lavant, Werner Herzog

Mister Lonely tells the story of a Michael Jackson (Diego Luna) impersonator living in Paris who feels isolated and adrift. His life changes when he meets a Marilyn Monroe lookalike (Samantha Morton) who invites him to a commune in the Scottish Highlands. Here, impersonators of famous figures like Charlie Chaplin (Denis Lavant) and the Pope live together. However, as the community prepares for a grand performance, tensions rise, and the cracks in their idyllic existence begin to show.

The premise is intriguing, and Korine approaches these characters with an open mind, seeking to understand their behavior rather than mock it. The imagery is also frequently bold and evocative, and the ever-reliable Diego Luna and Oscar-nominee Samantha Morton do their fair share to elevate the material. Unfortunately, Mister Lonely is undermined by several weak filmmaking decisions, especially the way it seems to become self-absorbed and overly serious. Plus, it hurts that Korine evidently did not secure the rights to Jackson's music. Narratively, too, Mister Lonely is unconventional and frankly bizarre. Like Trash Humpers, it features seemingly unconnected subplots and several scenes that defy logic, detracting from the main story.

Mister Lonely

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4 'Julien Donkey-Boy' (1999)

Starring: Ewen Bremner, Chloë Sevigny, Werner Herzog, Evan Neumann

Julien (Ewen Bremner) is a young man grappling with schizophrenia, living with his dysfunctional family in a dilapidated house. Once again, Korine employs a raw, cinéma vérité style, using grainy footage and disjointed editing to immerse the audience in Julien's troubled world. In particular, Julien Donkey-Boy attempts to depict Julien's hallucinations and chaotic thinking to place the audience inside his head.

The focus is on the interplay between Julien's mental illness and his relationships with his family. The overly stylized presentation burdens the narrative, but the rich characterization and solid performances do a lot to compensate for this approach. In particular, Oscar nominee Chloë Sevigny is great as Julien's sister Pearl, as is Werner Herzog as his abusive father. Korine also deserves praise for his boldness, willingness to take filmmaking risks, and psychologically complex approach, but overall, Julien Donkey-Boy is something of a failed experiment. Most viewers will probably find their attention beginning to wander before the halfway mark.

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3 'The Beach Bum' (2019)

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Snoop Dogg, Isla Fisher, Zac Efron

Matthew McConaughey stars in The Beach Bum as Moondog, a carefree and eccentric poet who drifts through life in the Florida Keys. Living by his rules, Moondog spends his days indulging in hedonistic pleasures and seeking inspiration. However, his relaxed lifestyle is threatened when he is forced to complete a long-lost manuscript to inherit a large fortune. Moondog embarks on an oddball odyssey, encountering various colorful characters along the way, including a pyromaniac (Zac Efron) and his deceased wife's lover (Snoop Dogg).

The Beach Bum is a typically provocative Korine feature with a characteristically scattershot plot. The movie could easily have crashed and burned, but instead, it surprisingly sticks the landing with enough charm to warrant a viewing. Its secret weapon is McConaughey, who delivers a fantastic, committed, and wildly over-the-top performance. He's endlessly watchable here; in his hands, Moondog becomes a kind of holy fool rather than just a scumbag drifter.

The Beach Bum

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2 'Spring Breakers' (2012)

Starring: Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, James Franco

Perhaps Korine's most misunderstood film, Spring Breakers follows four college girls (Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, and Korine's wife Rachel Korine) who rob a restaurant to fund their spring break trip to Florida. Seeking escape from their mundane lives, they are soon drawn into a world of excess, crime, and debauchery. Their adventure takes a darker turn when they meet Alien (James Franco), a charismatic but dangerous rapper and drug dealer.

On the surface, Spring Breakers looks like a trashy crime comedy, but it's actually more subtle and thoughtful than that. A lot of it is ironic, with the film critiquing its characters' shallowness and materialism. There's some social commentary hidden behind the hijinks and gunplay. Plus, Korine's directorial decisions are consistently fascinating, like the meta way he casts former child stars Hudgens and Gomez and subverts their public image. As a result, Spring Breakers remains Korine's most accessible project, striking a good balance between weirdness and entertainment.

Spring Breakers

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1 'Gummo' (1997)

Starring: Jacob Reynolds, Nick Sutton, Chloë Sevigny, Jacob Sewell

Korine's debut feature was this experimental drama, which is still his most accomplished film. It's a stark, unflinching portrait of life in Xenia, Ohio, a town devastated by a tornado and steeped in poverty. A series of vignettes delve into the lives of the town's inhabitants, particularly two young boys, Tummler (Nick Sutton) and Solomon (Jacob Reynolds), who spend their days hunting stray cats and engaging in various misdeeds.

Some viewers will find Gummo too dark, but it's also intense, potent, and philosophically rich. It's an example of Korine's stylistic inventiveness actually working. Here, he melds an avant-garde and documentary style, producing a movie that is truly one of a kind. The cinematography is also confident and memorable, making this downtrodden and despairing setting feel all too tangible. Although it divided critics, Gummo has since been praised by other experimental filmmakers like Werner Herzog, Lukas Moodysson, and Gus Van Sant, cementing its place as Korine's most lasting and influential effort.

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NEXT: The 10 Best Steampunk Movies, Ranked

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