With a film like Harmony Korine’s Aggro Dr1ft, it is important to take it on its own terms. There is a good chance that many will see it, grow more than a little frustrated with what he is doing, and then reject it without a second thought. While his films have never been for everyone, they are still worth reflecting on as an extension of his interest in American decay. It's then unfortunate that this is his most uninteresting film to engage with such ideas yet.
The story, for what little it matters, centers on the experience of a troubled assassin named BO who just want to be a family man as he tells us over and over again in several meandering monologues. Seeming to play with narrative archetypes, he must do one last job before he can live the life he’s always wanted. The target is a demon of a man who spends most of the film humping the air and ruling his corner of this Florida hellscape with cruelty.
What Is Korine Getting at With 'Aggro Dr1ft?' Attempting to take seriously what the film is doing feels increasingly pointless as it doesn’t take itself all that seriously. While there can be plenty of films that run on vibes, this doesn’t have the visual splendor or emotional heft to do so. To continue taking it on its own terms, the use of infrared is interesting though makes everything feel incomplete.
'Aggro Dr1ft' Is All Bluster and No Boldness The result is a sense of not anger, but disappointment. Rather than come away feeling like you’ve watched something truly daring or inventive, it all feels derivative. It is a film that is too mundane to even get mad at.