Harmony Korine’s “Aggro Dr1ft,” an experimental action film shot entirely using thermal cameras, has its world premiere at the 80th Venice International Film Festival tomorrow.
However, the film’s press screening took place tonight and has turned into an event in and of itself and arguably the best kind of publicity the film could ask for, with incredibly divisive reviews split between love and hate.
One attendee told World of Reel: “The film is totally bizarre and I got the impression that it was a prank on the audience […] I can’t remember a screening where so many people walked out.”
They added that when the film ended, some ‘slightly awkward’ applause then “grew into cheering” even as the outlet says a “few boos” were heard during the press screening.
The film certainly has supporters like critic James Witherspoon who says: “Harmony Korine has completely f—– lost the plot. 5 stars”. There’s also detractors like Giamma Macchioni who says: “What can go wrong in a movie with thermal cameras and Travis Scott? Everything. Literally everything. From the special effects done with Videomaker to the probably deaf sound designer. 0.5 stars.”
Critic Glenn Kenny added on Twitter: “The number of walkouts during ‘Aggro Dr1ft’ suggests a shameful percentage of the film press really doesn’t understand what ‘shot in Infrared’ actually means.”
“Aggro Dr1ft” stars Jordi Molla as Bo, a mysterious hit man with a contract out on his life and on a mission to kill a crime lord. Rapper Travis Scott co-stars.
Korine tells Varietythe aim was to create the feeling of “floating through a Grand Theft Auto-style environment, rendered in trippy electric colors” and dubs it a work of ‘rave cinema’.
“Aggro Dr1ft” will release in U.S. cinemas on October 7th.
