Gummo

Fine Line Features | Release Date: October 17, 1997

6.8	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 60 Ratings

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stokesDec 22, 2013

FRIENDS, don't let anyone else's opinion of this film influence whether or not you see it. This is a cinematic experience that's considered invaluable by most contemporary filmmakers you MIGHT like (Gus Van Sant Director of Good WillFRIENDS, don't let anyone else's opinion of this film influence whether or not you see it. This is a cinematic experience that's considered invaluable by most contemporary filmmakers you MIGHT like (Gus Van Sant Director of Good Will Hunting, Werner Herzog director of, most notably perhaps in America, Rescue Dawn), and regardless, this is a fantastic, bizarre, emotional roller-coaster of an independent that you owe it to yourself to see.

Think of nothing in this movie as literal, and all of it as metaphorical, and you see a brazen, honest look at the way we value beauty, love, femininity at its core in a world curiously devoid of the love of a mother. Think about the scene where Korine himself, a fantastically drunk gay young man, is attempting to elicit sex, or at the least understanding, from a gay, black, encephalic dwarf, because he has 'no one to love him, no one to listen to him.' Or think about this film entirely as literal, and you still see an oblique and unblinking look at the cesspool-ier elements of America.

This is a movie for those people. There is pain, suffering, sheer weirdness and killing cats all throughout this 'plot', but at its core this is a beautiful and honest meditation on the lives of people who don't create culture, but are forced to deal with the culture that we churn out for the 'beautiful people.'

My heart was broken during the scene where the character Solomon, instead of having sex with a woman with Downs that her brother is pimping out, simply asks her if she finds him attractive. And I hope yours is too.… Expand

4 of 6 users found this helpful42

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SimpleJackJun 5, 2014

Gummo is by far one of my favourite movies ever. Not following standard cinematic techniques and ideas, gummo is more of an experimental/art house film. It follows a small, hurricain striken town in Xenia, Ohio and their daily struggles withGummo is by far one of my favourite movies ever. Not following standard cinematic techniques and ideas, gummo is more of an experimental/art house film. It follows a small, hurricain striken town in Xenia, Ohio and their daily struggles with life. Nihilism, Religion, Poverty, Drug-use, and mental health are among the numerous issues and subjects explored by Harmony over the course of this film. The film is made up of a number of clips, centred around the people who live in the town. On the surface, this film is pure trash, but the more you delve into the disgusting and filthy masterpiece that is, gummo, the more tragically beautiful the movie becomes. After watching gummo for the first time, I felt that I needed to have a shower. The movie leaves you feeling disgusting and sickened. And let me warn you, watching gummo is kind of like consuming a Harmony Korine "drug". By this, I mean that you cannot stop thinking about the movie for about 12 ours. Gummo is a MUST SEE movie. 10/10.… Expand

4 of 7 users found this helpful43

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jfrotylpe532Mar 17, 2013

Gummois a cult favorite and even though its not eveen close to brilliant it works as a bizarre black comedy for weirdos like me everywhere.

4 of 8 users found this helpful44

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hnolanOct 22, 2018

Love it or hate it, I guarantee you've never seen anything like this before.

The negative reviews of this film misunderstand its purpose, but also prove its success. It's not meant to have a story and it's not meant to show a realisticLove it or hate it, I guarantee you've never seen anything like this before.

The negative reviews of this film misunderstand its purpose, but also prove its success. It's not meant to have a story and it's not meant to show a realistic portrayal of poor people. It's an art film and you should think about every character and scene critically. Although it has a minor narrative, treat each scene as unrelated vignettes. As director Harmony Korine stated, it's supposed to be more like looking through an old photo album; there's no cohesive story, just moments, but when you look at your own photos as a collection you can create your own narrative from it. With very little written dialogue and only 5 actors with previous acting experience, this is simultaneously one of the most surreal and most genuine movies you will ever see.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

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chrisvbOct 18, 2019

I didn't enjoy this movie at all. It just felt so 'try hard'. just awful.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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TheWalrus2000Mar 14, 2013

I feel like the critics shut this film off just because of its bizarre taste. Its meant to be a bizarre setting but putting it down because of that is wrong. Harmony Korine had an okay start to his career and even though he centers around aI feel like the critics shut this film off just because of its bizarre taste. Its meant to be a bizarre setting but putting it down because of that is wrong. Harmony Korine had an okay start to his career and even though he centers around a comedy that only teens will enjoy it works.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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Tss5078Aug 3, 2014

I have seen some strange things, but Gummo really takes the cake. This is a film that has no plot, simply following the lives of redneck children, as they kill cats to sell to the butcher, use duct tape to make their nipples bigger, and playI have seen some strange things, but Gummo really takes the cake. This is a film that has no plot, simply following the lives of redneck children, as they kill cats to sell to the butcher, use duct tape to make their nipples bigger, and play the accordion while on the toilet. Somehow this film has gained a cult following and there are some people out there who will tell you they love this film. I can see how some of the scenes could be funny, but as a film, Gummo is nothing but one big stereotype, that doesn't follow any kind of storyline at all. Even more bizarre than the film, is the cast of kids, who seemingly came from nowhere. Jacob Sewell plays the bunny boy and literally walks around the entire time with nothing on but a pair of shorts and a pair of pink bunny ears, hardly saying a word. The other main actor is Nick Sutton, who has got to be the strangest looking person I've ever seen. He at least has some lines, but I really could have done without seeing the 13 year old actor getting a bath from his mother, while scarfing down food in the bathtub. Honestly, I don't know how a studio even agrees to make something like this. To me, Gummo has no artistic value whatsoever, and I suspect one would have to be on drugs to fully comprehend everything that is going on. Some weirdness comes off well for it's artistic value, but even those films have some kind of a plot that you can follow, Gummo has none of that and really offers very little that anyone can follow or even relate to.… Expand

4 of 9 users found this helpful45

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KinamAug 4, 2013

Man. I watched this movie expecting something completely different. The visuals are good, creating a collage-like movie, and it is a good example of a fake documentary about a city. The acting was OK, uneven, but sometimes really believable.Man. I watched this movie expecting something completely different. The visuals are good, creating a collage-like movie, and it is a good example of a fake documentary about a city. The acting was OK, uneven, but sometimes really believable. I'm guessing Harmony used some non-actors in this. Overall, it was pretty good.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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AndremaxSep 6, 2018

Ok, what is interesting on a plotless, amateur,storyless and pointless film? I can say that the discomfortable, nasty, disgusting and claustrophobic atmosphere showed by Korine is quite clever. In case of Gummo, the movie doesn't need even aOk, what is interesting on a plotless, amateur,storyless and pointless film? I can say that the discomfortable, nasty, disgusting and claustrophobic atmosphere showed by Korine is quite clever. In case of Gummo, the movie doesn't need even a plot to shock the watcher and being so immersive. The excess of rawness shows in a realistic form what human being has most dirty, causing discomfort and repluse on expector, at the same time that puts it to think.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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FilmVirtueFeb 14, 2014

Good and Bad I believe. Maybe. I'm still not sure. Maybe I'm not the only one to think so, but this film sickens me. I'm still trying to figure out why, and trying to figure out what the heck I just watched.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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joethealienSep 26, 2017

probably my favorite movie ever. brilliant depiction of bleakness. Harmony Korine is such a visionary in what he decides to piece together. the scene with Solomon working out to Like a Prayer is still one of my favorite scenes in any movie,probably my favorite movie ever. brilliant depiction of bleakness. Harmony Korine is such a visionary in what he decides to piece together. the scene with Solomon working out to Like a Prayer is still one of my favorite scenes in any movie, it's just all very real and special. the entire movie is just natural and shows dark moments in small town America. just superbly unique in every moment.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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CoopDEtat19Aug 23, 2019

Although the film seems to lack me kind of direction or a plot, it still has an appeal that makes it hard to not pay attention to.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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QhamaniJul 9, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Good film, experimental and provocative; it doesn't necessarily rely on a plot but rather focuses on the daily lives of the protagonists. It's a rather shocking film sometimes but that might've been Korine's idea in the first place; to show the audience the "other side of America". According to Wikipedia one of the producers of the film Cary Woods comments, "we're essentially seeing the kind of poverty that we're used to seeing in Third World countries when news crews are covering famines, [but] seeing that in the heart of America.". Gummo does not seem to judge or criticize its characters regardless of what immoral actions they may take. It instead puts us in their shoes and makes us view life from their perspective, you either love Gummo or you are repelled by it; its polarizing. For anyone who is willing to watch a film that explores bizarre subjects from mental retardation to homosexuality and dwarfism, to animal cruelty then you may watch this.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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