The controversial 1997 movie that shaped Harris Dickinson: “It caused trouble for film”
Harris Dickinson has identified Harmony Korine’s 1997 film Gummo as a major early influence on his willingness to pursue challenging, unconventional work. Speaking in the Criterion Closet, Dickinson said the film’s disturbing content and rejection of conventional form showed him how cinema could provoke audiences and challenge established filmmaking norms.
Korine made Gummo aged 23 after writing Kids, and its depictions of violence, nudity, bullying and marginalised small-town life sharply divided critics while building a cult following. The article argues that the film’s loose plot, unsettling atmosphere and blend of art film and documentary-like imagery have influenced independent cinema; Dickinson also linked Korine’s sensibility to skate culture and noted the director’s later work, including Spring Breakers.
- Dickinson cites Gummo as an influential early film.
- The 1997 film divided critics with provocative, unconventional content.
- Its cult status helped shape independent filmmaking.
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Gummo is a 1997 American independent film written and directed by Harmony Korine. Set in a fictional Ohio town, it follows a loose collection of young people and families rather than a single conventional story, using deliberately unsettling scenes and a rough, documentary-like style.
Korine had previously written the 1995 film Kids, which also drew attention for its frank portrayal of teenagers. Gummo divided audiences and critics because of its violence, nudity, bullying and bleak depiction of poverty, but it later gained a devoted cult audience.
Harris Dickinson is a British actor known for choosing varied film roles. He has said Gummo helped show him that films can reject familiar storytelling rules and still have a strong effect on viewers.