This Wild Crime Drama Made A24 a Cultural Force – Even With Only 38% on RT

In 2013, Spring Breakers, a provocative indie drama by Harmony Korine, was released. This project marked a turning point for the studio A24, laying the foundation for its future success.

Made on a budget of just $5 million, the movie grossed over $31 million worldwide and it was one of the studio's first projects to be actively promoted via social media.

What Is 'Spring Breakers' About?

Four college students, played by Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, and Rachel Korine, live in a dull dorm and crave adventure. As spring break approaches, the girls decide to earn some extra cash so they can party hard.

They choose an unconventional way to make money when fate brings them into contact with Alien, a drug and arms dealer. This encounter promises the kind of thrills they had long since given up hope of finding.

They head to the Florida coast, where an endless, hedonistic party awaits, heightened by acid colors, frenetic editing, and an overall carefree narrative style.

'Spring Breakers' Is a Movie That Perfectly Captures the Visual Aesthetic of the Early 2010s

The defining feature of Spring Breakers is its unique visual language. Harmony Korine created a film that feels like an acid trip, complete with neon colors, disjointed editing, repetitive dialogue, and a hypnotic soundtrack.

The movie serves as an anthem for an era when social media was just beginning to shape our perception of reality.

Spring Breakers isn't afraid to be excessive and provocative, and it is precisely this boldness that makes the project so memorable.

'Spring Breakers' Revolutionized Marketing and Launched the A24 Era

Spring Breakers marked a pivotal moment for the studio A24. Small films rarely have the budget for advertising, so Spring Breakers had to rely almost entirely on a shout-out from Selena Gomez on social media.

However, A24 redefined marketing by embracing the internet when traditional advertising was out of reach. A Last Supper-style promotional photo posted on Facebook received an enormous number of shares, sparking conversation and driving ticket sales.

After this breakthrough, the film industry stopped overlooking the internet, and A24 cemented its reputation as a studio that knows how to generate buzz around its projects.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Spring Breakers'?

• Spring Breakers has 67% from critics and 38% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 5.3/10.

• On Letterboxd, Spring Breakers scored 2.8/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Spring Breakers'?

Spring Breakers is available to stream on Max.