Gummo
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Gummo
1997
Drama
1h 29m
A portrait of the inhabitants of the small town of Xenia, Ohio, which never fully recovered from a 1974 tornado.
Directed by:
Harmony KorineScreenwriter:
Harmony KorineGummo
1997
Drama
1h 29m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 55.19% from 1549 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews
(1568)
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Rated 13 Jun 2008
97
97th
I'll just come right out and say it: Harmony Korine is the Orson Welles of our time and this was his Citizen Kane (as perfectly reflective of our late capitalist post-modern society as Kane is iconic of high modernist industrialism). Let's just hope he can manage at least one F For Fake before he collapses under the weight of his own self-mythologizing.
Rated 13 Jun 2008
Rated 04 Jul 2013
92
99th
A simultaneously preposterous and ulta-realist portrayal of mock- southern u.s. lower-class youth. Effectively both a haunting anthropological document and a gorgeous, stunning piece of the most poetic and visionary cinematic expressionism. Extraordinary and bold-- simultaneously misanthropic and sympathetic.
Rated 04 Jul 2013
Rated 20 Aug 2012
7
88th
Proof that the Jerry Springer show needed more dead cats. Gummo features a plot-less, languid narrative that's borderline suffocating in its nihilism, like being forced to hover over the debris of a forgotten train wreck. At times it can feel a tad amateurish, but I never got the impression that it was exploitative or manipulative, and it all comes together in the end as a clear-eyed but ambiguous portrait on people lost in a maelstrom of poverty and misfortune. Highly recommended.
Rated 20 Aug 2012
Rated 11 Feb 2010
75
71st
Completely bizarre look at the neglected rural areas of America. It's brutally realistic because the characters are pulled straight from non actors. The "acting" is essentially improvisation and there is no real plot to speak of. Feels a bit exploitative and there's a general freakshow atmosphere to the film but it's a surprising combination of sad, hilarious, and charming.
Rated 11 Feb 2010
Rated 14 Aug 2007
0
0th
If you are about to kill yourself and want to watch a movie just to make sure you will actually go through with it, watch this movie.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 07 Jan 2012
95
97th
According to the back of the DVD case, Gus van Sant wishes he made this film, but really, no-one could've made this film, not even Harmony Korine. It's one of the strangest crosses between narrative and documentary and acting and real-life and naturalism and cinema verite. It's crass, disgusting, shocking, horrible, weird, sick, and loveable. Someone had to show this side of good ol' America and what a way to show it.
Rated 07 Jan 2012
Rated 16 Nov 2016
100
99th
This lets the subaltern speak for itself trying to match poverty with poetry by a mixture of anti-narrative cinema-verité and subtly calculated editing/rhytm. It turns the movie into a poetic experience of eerieness and ugliness which both have a deconstructive effect, and still some scenes have a transcendental beauty (chair fight scene) because like Kant's aesthetic judgement, those scenes step on the never shown/experienced habitus of the poor and excluded. An ineffable artistic experience.
Rated 16 Nov 2016
Rated 14 Jan 2015
100
99th
This makes me feel. Like, feel real shit.
Rated 14 Jan 2015
Rated 06 Jun 2013
80
81st
I constantly switched between being fascinated, disgusted, creeped out, uncomfortable and feeling like a voyeur. A really unpredictable series of scenes that add up to little but do draw you into a setting that just oozes a sense of decay, of wrongness. It also makes the sweeter/human elements all the sadder. Gummo got under my skin in a way that few things have managed to do recently, apart from that tick I picked up while foraging for food in the woods.
Rated 06 Jun 2013
Rated 25 Aug 2011
5
91st
Sympathetic portrayal of the dregs of society, or exploitative backwoods freak-show? Probably a bit of both. I vacillated between disgust and morbid curiosity, but whatever may be the case, Gummo is undeniably unique, and often compelling, which is enough for me to value it even with all my doubts. Also, it has "Like a Prayer," "Crying" and Linda Manz, so.
Rated 25 Aug 2011
Rated 25 Aug 2011
80
62nd
Like the inbred, redneck cousin of Jarmusch's 'Stranger than Paradise,' there's not much in way of plot or goals for the main characters. It's a home movie of the America that God forgot, with the viewer as an active participant. There are few characters with redeeming qualities and I'm not always sure what Korine is trying to say, but I do know that this film puts an ugly truth on display that many in the 'developed world' would sooner pretend doesn't exist. Tender, disturbing, weird. Honest.
Rated 25 Aug 2011
Rated 03 Sep 2009
98
99th
A hilarious piece of art. Korine is amazing, fuck the haters.
Rated 03 Sep 2009
Rated 16 Feb 2024
92
98th
Werner Herzog had this to say to Harmony Korine: “I see ‘Gummo’ as a true science fiction film in the way it shows a scary vision of the future: a loss of soul, a loss of spirituality. And yet you clearly see all that with very tender eyes.” What Herzog means is that Korine projects to us our epochal fall (i.e., the Anthropocene) and in that our irrepressible potential to rise and overcome our seemingly insurmountable limits. It is only in falling so far that we can rise again.
Rated 16 Feb 2024
Rated 23 Jun 2014
40
10th
I've forgotten almost all of the minor details since I've last seen it, and if I remember correctly, there are no major details.
Rated 23 Jun 2014
Rated 25 Mar 2013
80
62nd
Disgusting and sometimes over-the-top, but thoroughly engaging and constantly entertaining. Korine has a knack for combining moderately gross images to create supremely disturbing sequences (dirty bath water + spaghetti + wet chocolate = horrifying). And it always feels fresh. From scene to scene, shot to shot, I NEVER had any idea what I was about to see next. And that's a movie making virtue.
Rated 25 Mar 2013
Rated 29 Nov 2011
95
90th
A movie that shows the darkness and trash and reality in the lives of people that you can find in any rural area that's poor enough. And in Virginia there's plenty of those. This movie just captures so well everything that a movie has the capabilities to be. It presents the plot in such a way beyond what many movies present, and it shows that the quality of the work is not hindered by being so different. And not just different to be different, but doing what suits the tone and images perfectly.
Rated 29 Nov 2011
Rated 14 May 2011
25
25th
Rated 19 Feb 2011
83
77th
Yes, it indulges in a kind of nihilism I often find very boring and adolescent. But what could easily be simply a condescending freak show is actually something almost tender. Korine clearly has an affection for these characters that shines through even when they're being horrible. If the people of this universe are sometimes interesting for rather cheap reasons, at least they ARE interesting. You never know what you're going to see next, and it's often something you've never seen before.
Rated 19 Feb 2011
Rated 29 Sep 2010
90
97th
The only major flaw I could find in Gummo is that I wanted nothing more than to stab the main characters in the eyes for killing cats. While undiscerning moviegoers viewed this as being random and haphazard, it is actually visionary and very well thought-out. It also defies the simplistic summations that some of its supportive reviewers have given it. Like all good works of art Gummo is ambiguous and provokes many different thoughts.
Rated 29 Sep 2010
Rated 31 Aug 2010
9
90th
Effective propaganda for the extermination of white people.
Rated 31 Aug 2010
Rated 17 Feb 2009
0
0th
At the end of all time, when the apocalypse comes and the 4 horse men arrive, mankind will ask "What terrible act did we commit, to bring about our end? Nuclear war? Global warming?" and the horse men will reply "Last night we watched Gummo"
Rated 17 Feb 2009
Rated 26 Aug 2007
1
2nd
Simply stated-this movie was horrible! I couldn't even get through it. I don't understand how a tornado could have screwed up these people so much. Cat killing and fornication with the mentally challenged is not even a slight bit entertaining to me. What the hell was this?
Rated 26 Aug 2007
Rated 01 Apr 2021
45
32nd
Is this what people did before the internet?
Rated 01 Apr 2021
Rated 29 Apr 2020
76
51st
Strange, fascinating, oddly compelling wallow in the grotesqueries of "white trash" is not as ugly or intimidating as its reputation suggests (though cat-lovers best steer clear!) - the overarching point Korine is trying to reach is difficult to parse and the movie resembles more of an art installation than a typical narrative feature, which means inevitably performers make minimal impact - having said that, the largely amateur performances do add to the rough and gritty realism of proceedings.
Rated 29 Apr 2020
Rated 29 Aug 2019
80
62nd
Gummo is more art than entertainment. I found myself grasping at the meaning or plot of the film the whole time that I watched it. I suppose the reality of this story is just showing small town America to the world. This film has a general plot but it really is here to show off a bunch of different characters in this town with a few real actors as well. I could probably watch this film another four or five times and never really grasp what Korine was trying to capture.
Rated 29 Aug 2019
Rated 06 Aug 2018
81
77th
Certainly one of the more affecting depictions of poverty on film. Deep humanism buried under all the dirt, trash, and bugs. Somehow Jacob Reynolds's exposed shoulder blades are the most disturbing part.
Rated 06 Aug 2018
Rated 16 Nov 2016
83
93rd
Life is beautiful. Really, it is. Full of beauty and illusions. Life is great. Without it, you'd be dead.
Rated 16 Nov 2016
Rated 03 Oct 2016
75
44th
The content was exactly what I expected. The tone, thankfully, was not. I can't connect with the characters, but I still found this to be an interesting experience because it's an energetic film that neither condones nor condemns, but treats the characters with humanity and shows us a variety of vignettes that stand on their own but build to a wider picture. Reminds me of Warhol in how it just drops these characters on the screen and lets them do their thing without worrying about their appeal.
Rated 03 Oct 2016
Rated 29 Aug 2016
10
56th
dont pay attention trying to find any kind of narrative. this is a practice in a specific kind of dreadful atmosphere. horrific and mundane at the same time. uncomfortably dark, real and morose at the same time. you wont scream. you will just sink, waiting to suffocate, and imagining what it would feel like to pretend you arent and sing lullabies as you cry, waiting to die.
Rated 29 Aug 2016
Rated 13 Dec 2015
28
9th
A big hit amongst 'alternative youth'. In fact this movie started really getting on my nerves, because my squat-mates keep playing it couple times a week. It is an unpleasant, juvenile, movie. It is supposed to be shocking, but trashy people and absurd situations portrayed in this film just provoked general dislike for it. I hope I will never see it again.
Rated 13 Dec 2015
Rated 28 Feb 2014
8
59th
The soundtrack is on fucking point. Brujeria, Sleep, Absu, Bathory...
Rated 28 Feb 2014
Rated 02 Nov 2013
78
45th
Is it enjoyable to watch? No, not really. Am I glad it exists and think that there should be more films like this? Yes, definitely.
Rated 02 Nov 2013
Rated 03 Jul 2013
74
77th
Rated 22 May 2013
55
22nd
I find a lot of humanity in this film despite what people say of it. The most obvious case of this is also the one which is most likely to anger naysayers where the young kid meets the prostitute who has Down's syndrome and the kid just sits there and talks to her. If you look beyond the provocation there's a lot of tenderness to the scene and a similar tenderness throughout the film. I still find it way too hard to watch though.
Rated 22 May 2013
Rated 17 May 2013
65
44th
Harmony was young, he did't care about story lines and all that nonsense back then.
Rated 17 May 2013
Rated 13 Jan 2013
7
41st
I was ready to really dislike this, but it's too arresting and unique for me to hate. Often grotesque and questionable, but it has a peculiar ugly charm, like a pug or something.
Rated 13 Jan 2013
Rated 02 Dec 2010
95
99th
Uniquely alive, so much more than any other film I've watched.
Rated 02 Dec 2010
Rated 15 Nov 2010
65
42nd
A fantastic film with moments of brilliance. I just didn't love it.
Rated 15 Nov 2010
Rated 10 Oct 2010
93
92nd
hit somethin deep
Rated 10 Oct 2010
Rated 31 Aug 2010
76
71st
Fascinating and perverse. Frequently unsettling. Sadly, I dated a girl who lived in rural florida and was able to explain almost every scene.
Rated 31 Aug 2010
Rated 26 Jun 2009
2
14th
Not even remotely close to being shocking, breathtaking, revelatory or whatever the fuck else. Jokes are funny enough to make you smile, not laugh. The black metal soundtrack is...interesting, kind of funny, not really a plus. Really, the director is just a pretentious dickhead and this is hipster trash.
Rated 26 Jun 2009
Rated 27 Aug 2008
95
94th
Honestly, I don't believe this film has much "thematic purpose." But that's not the point; this is a different kind of film: it is a film that wants to capture an image and the emotions and thoughts attached to that image. Those who have seen this have a lot of difficulty describing why they find it so moving and precious, a sign that it is deeply, truly moving.
Rated 27 Aug 2008
Rated 18 Jul 2008
0
0th
Rated 24 Jun 2008
0
0th
The antics of the poor and ignorant have never been funny to me, but at least Jerry Springer tries to make it fun. Also, beware the animal abuse.
Rated 24 Jun 2008
Rated 01 Jan 2008
75
50th
It's almost like watching a trainwreck, in that you both despise it and can't look away. A constant stream of quotable dialogue makes it a ton of fun to watch with friends.
Rated 01 Jan 2008
Rated 11 Oct 2024
63
34th
RABBITSAREQUEEAAUHSloolYOUSMELLLIKEPUSSY:P+bangdownsyndromegirl+dyslexicbutcrosseyedsoeverythingcameoutrightlol+spaghettiwhileshewasheshishair:P
Rated 11 Oct 2024
Rated 09 Dec 2023
80
68th
I can't argue in favour of this film. You either slip into it's vibe or you'll find in repugnant. I do the former. Max Perlich and Linda Manz (her first role in 16 years) pop up, as do skater Mark Gonzales (epically fighting a chair). Korine himself has a small role and I think no director has ever been this drunk in his own film. Werner Herzog is a fan and specifically loved the strip of bacon taped to the wall in the infamous bathtub scene. He's not wrong.
Rated 09 Dec 2023
Rated 12 Nov 2023
44
31st
an unromanticized, unglamorous, ugly look at how stupid, hateful and violent some regular ass people can be. the class commentary is done entirely through storytelling, never explicitly stated or used as an excuse for how terrible these characters are. i'll give it marks for authenticity, but take away some for being really boring.
Rated 12 Nov 2023
Rated 26 Feb 2023
81
22nd
Wrong in many ways, but so right in many. Anyone from a small town will know a character in this film.
Rated 26 Feb 2023
Rated 29 Nov 2022
21
2nd
Relatively competently made, but no clue why this was made or for who it was made. It's different, but that's not always a good thing. It was at times compelling, but kind of in the same way a trainwreck is. Unpleasant.
Rated 29 Nov 2022
Rated 30 Aug 2022
0
0th
Gummo estreava há 25 anos no Festival de Telluride. Meu primeiro e último Korine, não consegui assistir meia hora disso. PURO LIXO. Desprezo igualmente quem gosta desse chorume. DVDRip no MakingOff. E o Kyle já disse tudo que era pra ser dito sobre esse filme aqui: https://boxd.it/aLvdJ
Rated 30 Aug 2022
Rated 21 Mar 2021
50
30th
I have no idea how to rank this movie. I hated every second of it but that's the point and it succeeded in being a top to bottom punisher. So 100 for style and artistry + 0 for enjoyment divided by 2 for an average is 50
Rated 21 Mar 2021
Rated 01 Apr 2019
7
58th
One of the most challenging movies I've had the pleasure of rating. Despite all the needless filler and questionable content, this is stark social realism steeped in honesty and tender humanity, an underrated gem that manages to be about nothing and everything at the same time. Can't wait to rewatch this.
Rated 01 Apr 2019
Rated 15 Feb 2019
65
42nd
A tough watch when just getting into Korine but I suspect this makes a lot more sense on the other end of his filmography. Certainly overdue for a rewatch.
Rated 15 Feb 2019
Rated 25 Sep 2016
56
41st
Personally I think it's an overblown mess of hot air, but then again, it's also my pet cat's favorite movie.
Rated 25 Sep 2016
Rated 13 Jul 2016
0
5th
It's between this and the garbage pail kids movie for the worst piece of shit put to film.
Rated 13 Jul 2016
Rated 08 Feb 2015
50
20th
"It's not like a drug that fucks you up. If anything, it makes you normal."
Rated 08 Feb 2015
Rated 10 Mar 2014
80
73rd
Growing up in rural Georgia makes Gummo about 200 percent more unsettling to watch, but I don't regret the experience. Gummo is effective because it shows off the people we try to hide behind closed doors and forget about. Sure, Xenia exists in an heightened reality, but Korine's sick experiment cuts closer to documentary than we'd all like to admit.
Rated 10 Mar 2014
Rated 05 Jan 2014
20
7th
This is just a random collection of poor people and scenes of their sad lives. I somehow managed to sit though the entire movie, all the while hoping there would be a point to it, but nothing develops, and it ends pretty much as it began. This is little more than a collection of poor kids acting like rotten kids. I particularly disliked that the director couldn't edit out people looking directly into the camera. There was nothing particularly good about any of it.
Rated 05 Jan 2014
Rated 13 Dec 2013
7
92nd
an extremely cynical but also oddly sympathetic portrait of a tornado-ravaged town. it's very ambiguous in moral judgement of the sometimes extremely disturbing acts committed by the townspeople. it perhaps lays it on a bit thick, but this highly uncomfortable viewing experience is definitely recommended for its uncompromising and unique vision of poverty.
Rated 13 Dec 2013
Rated 24 Sep 2013
87
84th
punk rock.
Rated 24 Sep 2013
Rated 17 Apr 2013
80
37th
What can you really say about a movie like this one? It's an experience, one every movie lover should have once. I know I was uncomfortable throughout, but I still haven't decided if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
Rated 17 Apr 2013
Rated 11 Apr 2013
70
43rd
I just don't know any more. Was there a point to it? Maybe, but I didn't see one, It's definitely interesting though - a very unique film.
Rated 11 Apr 2013
Rated 07 Apr 2013
6
46th
Gummo is undoubtedly a unique film, and there is much to praise about it: Korine's strange, never-boring direction, the performances, particularly the lead, and a potential to possibly scar minds, a trait always welcomed when done tastefully. However, the film ultimately falters because it, like its nihilistic characters and themes, doesn't really do anything. While the majority of scenes are certainly memorable, they all amount to nothing. I didn't care about anything or anyone.
Rated 07 Apr 2013
Rated 22 Jan 2013
65
51st
Bizarre flick documenting the lives of the inhabitants of Xenia, Ohio, a rural town devastated by a tornado. It's basically an endless parade of white trash freaks murdering cats, sniffing glue, and rambling incoherently about their meaningless existences. Some of the brief portraits of redneck life are funny (the drunk guy who fights a kitchen chair), and there are a handful of memorable images, but the total lack of any form of narrative makes the interest start to wane around the hour mark.
Rated 22 Jan 2013
Rated 15 Jul 2012
95
94th
May i return to my Korine-Arbus parallel? Thank you.
This film is very alive and authentic, like that frog dissected right in front of you in biology class.
And i bet you too can see the poetry in it.
Will rewatch.
Rated 15 Jul 2012
Rated 17 Jun 2012
74
38th
Disturbing
Rated 17 Jun 2012
Rated 21 May 2012
75
44th
Korine pulls the curtain to the bizarre, demented, freakshow of America that you don't see on your nightly news. It's like walking in the shoes of a child with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Who knows, your inbred cousin in Kentucky might enjoy this one.
Rated 21 May 2012
Rated 02 Apr 2012
100
98th
This stand along with Cassavete's Shadows as the most influential films for me; not that I understand why. But it's incredible hermetic and chaotic, and it sure has much less to say than it has do raise up questions/issues.
Rated 02 Apr 2012
Rated 13 Jan 2012
86
87th
One of the most idiosyncratically funny movies I've ever seen. I guess that makes me a freak but if so, I'm in good company.
Rated 13 Jan 2012
Rated 17 Dec 2011
77
75th
This is an art film, and you will likely either love it or hate it.
Rated 17 Dec 2011
Rated 02 Dec 2011
52
4th
#954
Rated 02 Dec 2011
Rated 05 Oct 2011
85
85th
12 setembre 2011 - Plantejament i mode de narrar interessants. Els esbossos de personatges de poc protagonisme són colpidors. Sento familiaritat en alguns moments amb aquest món tan salvatgei això em fa veure l'absurditat de totes les convencions. En altres moments, sento una estranyesa absoluta per aquests personatges, sensació de no saber en absolut què els passa pel cap i tot i així em convenç que són possibles, reals (el mateix em passa respecte el director, com deu ser el cap d'aquest tio?)
Rated 05 Oct 2011
Rated 30 Sep 2011
70
41st
Rated 24 Apr 2011
67
40th
Well, I don't know if what hit Xenia, Ohio was a tornado or a nuclear bomb with some psychedelics in it; but whatever it was it hit it really hard. So if I ever make a road trip in US, I won't be passing by it; no thank you. Don't watch it if you are a cat lover; don't watch it if you are a human-lover either.
Rated 24 Apr 2011
Rated 19 Mar 2011
90
35th
I don't like everything Harmony Korine has made, but the little details in this are so charming and beautiful that it is impossible to not be immersed in it.
Rated 19 Mar 2011
Rated 07 Mar 2011
60
32nd
I really love weird and disturbing movies, but this was somehow too unpleasant to watch...
Rated 07 Mar 2011
Rated 31 Jan 2011
2
18th
I felt unengaged in what seemed to be a Herzog like subject matter. There were many elements that made this an unpleasant experience.
Rated 31 Jan 2011
Rated 08 Dec 2010
49
5th
What may be an interesting movie is drowned in shitbowl of pretentiousness and what floats back to the surface sure ain't pretty.
Rated 08 Dec 2010
Rated 02 Nov 2010
66
46th
Really don't know what to make of it. A mix of some really horribly gross scenes and a bit of charm, in an entirely unique package.
Rated 02 Nov 2010
Rated 25 Jun 2010
40
25th
Harmony Korine is a visual artist and this creation..this movie is at times unwatchable..and at others is so depressing sad and just useless...he created a movie that is not just real..at times its too real...the human response is to be threatened by things you cannot grasp but Harmony is truly engulfed by it
Rated 25 Jun 2010
Rated 22 Apr 2010
95
98th
Weird and beautiful.
Rated 22 Apr 2010
Rated 18 Jan 2010
76
50th
It's an interesting, original and fresh film, which details the moral downfall of a town after a tornado. It has some scenes you won't find anywhere else, and it's pretty much the only movie about killing cats for a profit that I know of. It's pretty much a new take on drama, instead showing a linear storyline it shows seemingly disconnected images which tell the story of a destroyed town and it's residents. Plus, the ending is great in my opinion, It makes great use of the song "crying".
Rated 18 Jan 2010
Rated 03 Dec 2009
15
17th
This was..well..different. Not the good kind.
Rated 03 Dec 2009
Rated 07 Apr 2009
95
96th
Pareciera un documental, en una zona devastada de los estados unidos, mucha gente estereotipa a los estadounidenses de esa forma y con mucha razón
Rated 07 Apr 2009
Rated 07 Apr 2009
75
65th
Whether gross, sad, funny, or frightening, it's always alive, inventive, and utterly unique, even when some of the acting from non-actors leaves something to be desired or Korine treats his impoverished characters a bit like circus freaks.
Rated 07 Apr 2009
Rated 19 Mar 2009
0
0th
"...represents everything that can possibly be bad about a movie. It revels in the filth and squalor of the worst variations of human existence, without giving any true insight or understanding about the predicaments of its pathetic characters."
Rated 19 Mar 2009
Rated 28 Oct 2008
94
90th
I really want to hate this film with every ounce of my immense and terrible flesh. I cannot.
Rated 28 Oct 2008
Rated 05 Sep 2008
80
38th
Surreal man,Surreal......
Rated 05 Sep 2008
Cast & Info
Directed by:
Harmony KorineScreenwriter:
Harmony KorineCollections
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