Masked criminals terrorize beach communities in this week’s chaotic double bill
I haven’t had spring break in over a decade.
I’m no longer a student, I’m not a teacher. I don’t get spring break anymore!
That weeklong vacation is now a state of mind to me. It’s that time of the year when it starts getting dark later and I, in the words of Sheryl Crow, wanna soak up the sun.
At least a little bit. When it gets too hot I tend to retreat to the movie theater or other places with air conditioning.
But I’m not there yet! For this week’s streaming picks, we’re looking at movies that embody the spring break ethos, whether that’s a road trip, a party, a trip to the beach, a quick break from reality, or some combination of those things.
So, with that said: Spring break forever, bitches 🌸
(Unless otherwise noted, all movies are available to rent from Apple, Amazon, etc. in addition to the listed streaming services. But if you watch them and like them, I’d consider buying physical copies 😃)
Double Feature: Spring Breakers (2013) and Point Break (1991)
Spring Breakers is streaming on Max and for free on Kanopy. Point Break is streaming on Peacock and free with ads on Prime Video/Freevee and Tubi.
You knew this was coming.
Harmony Korine’s 2013 film is a beach party at the end of the world, a neon pop fever dream filled with demented ecstasy.
Set in (where else?) Florida during peak Spring Break season, Spring Breakers tells the story of four college friends (Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, and Rachel Korine) who wax philosophical on their quest for not just a good time, but thegood time.
Along the way, they meet the drug dealer Alien (James Franco), who bails them out of jail and inducts them into his own criminal exploits. Not long after they join him, a stunning robbery montage set to Britney Spears’ “Everytime,” lifts Spring Breakers into a violent euphoria that Korine sustains for the remainder of his remarkable movie.
Another sun-soaked crime odyssey, Kathryn Bigelow’s Point Break is one of the best films of the ‘90s, and one of my favorite action films.
The movie centers on undercover FBI agent Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves), who is tasked with infiltrating a gang of California surfers led by the charismatic Bodhi (Patrick Swayze). The surfers are suspected of committing a string of bank robberies along the coast, and Utah must find a way to earn their trust.
This is one of the great films about masculinity; Bigelow films action -whether it’s surfing, robbing, or skydiving- as an unbeatable high. The movie is as seductive and over the top as it is frighteningly prescient. Though she would go on to direct a Best Picture winner about men hopelessly addicted to the rush of violence and potential death, Point Break is her masterpiece.
Other Movie Recommendations:
Claire’s Camera (2017)- Streaming for free on Kanopy
Let’s take a break from the beach crime sprees and go on a leisurely stroll through Cannes with two great actresses.
Filmed amid the hustle and bustle of the actual film festival, Hong Sang-soo’s Claire’s Camera stars Isabelle Huppert and Kim Min-hee as Claire, a teacher with a penchant for photography, and Manhee, a recently fired film agent’s assistant. Centering the film on a film industry outsider and (former) insider allows Hong to slyly dissect both the creative and business sides of his art.
“Maturity has nothing to do with making films,” Manhee says at one point. Hong, who has made more than 30 films since 1996, is as self-lacerating as he is prolific.
Happy Together (1997)- Streaming on Max and The Criterion Channel
A master of sensuous, fragmented romance, Wong Kar Wai is one of the most influential filmmakers of my lifetime.
Happy Together tells the story of a gay couple (Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung) trying to salvage their relationship during a trip to Argentina. This “highly sexual, highly agonized” love story features astonishing high-contrast cinematography from regular Wong collaborator Christopher Doyle. Although the frenetic style the two perfected here would yield to the slower, more aching pace of In the Mood for Love, there is just as much mourning hidden in this hectic, emotionally turbulent film.
That ends this week’s descent into vacation-centered madness. If you have a movie request or an idea for a future column theme, let me know and I will try to accommodate 💃
Matt Erspamer is a writer and movie lover who lives in Seattle.
Any views or opinions expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Watershed Voice staff or its board of directors.