Not for everyone, but thankfully for me - 7.5/10

Verdict: From polarizing director Harmony Korine, "The Beach Bum" is a character-driven comedy about a stoner called Moondog, played by an incredible Matthew McConaughey, and his way of living life by his own rules.

Filled with drugs, sex, and alcohol, "The Beach Bum" is definitely not a crowd pleaser. In fact, I can completely see the majority of people absolutely hating this movie that almost entirely relies on the audience sympathizing with Mattew McConaughey's despicable but hilarious character to work. A character I would describe as being the rated R version of Andy Samberg's Conner4Real from the very enjoyable comedy "Popstar", and that I had an absolute blast watching on the big screen. McConaughey's performance, helped by equally great supporting performances by Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, Zac Efron, Martin Lawrence, and Snoop Dogg (who was perfectly cast), and who seemed to be having the time of his life shooting this movie, was the main reason that character worked so well for me. The film is also a very well shot one in which my only technical issue was the inconsistent flashy color palette that wasn't emphasized enough, leading to it still feeling dark even with all the colors presented. The score by John Debney, while being a bit repetitive, helped in setting the eccentric tone that blended with Moondog's personality like a charm.

Despite a toned down third act and some characters I wish were given more screentime, I thoroughly enjoyed "The Beach Bum". It's definitely not your typical comedy with scripted jokes, and the fact that it so heavily relies on one character to work makes me think that the vast majority of moviegoers will walk out of it disappointed. But thankfully, I wasn't one of them.

 

FINAL GRADE: 7.5/10