Gummo

Gummo is OUTSTANDING, and a wicked story of the haves and have-nots in a dystopian yet realistic American town, and the experiences of the characters that exist in a state of stagnant destruction. What makes Gummo so incredibly unique is its complete lack of perfection throughout, especially in the setting. There’s not one frame that isn’t clean. There’s always dirty clothes lying around, a dissembled toy thrown away forgotten, aging posters stapled badly to the wall, and overall filth lining the interiors of the houses. It carries a real grimy feeling throughout. And not just in the setting as well, but also in the characters. Most are lost, problematic or tired of just being able to get by. There isn’t a singular main character in Gummo, only wandering souls trying to live their lives in a hellhole that they call home. I’ve read online that many areas of America are really like this, which is really quite daunting, considering coming from someone who lives in an English town, this place seems to be anywhere but a real place, where real people live. I can’t imagine what it’s like to really live in a place like the town depicted in the film, and slowly realise you relate to the characters and their situations more and more. Be warned: Gummo can get really rough and shocking at points. They mostly arrive in short scenes, some in the tape flashbacks, but others in the experiences of the characters. There are countless scenes in this that made my jaw drop, most notably the scene where Cassidey is first introduced - while it definitely isn’t making fun of her, it’s still really unbelievable to actually see what is happening on your screen. The film really wants to remind you that these characters have had some really grotesque things happen to them. It’s obviously not problematic in any way, but it’s still really interestingly disturbing to see it anyway. Gummo feels like Napoleon Dynamite’s darker brother. Both are set in this sandbox of almost-nothingness, and both focus on trying to make the most out of the little that you have, but Gummo seeks to explore the hidden cracks that are lurking in a tarnished town. It’s a surprisingly brilliant film that is really memorable, and a severely under appreciated masterpiece in my opinion.