Harmony Korine’s Disturbing Shooter Defies Opinions

Harmony Korine continues to push boundaries with his latest project, “Baby Invasion.” This disturbing and anti-audience film elevates the twitchy, trigger-happy protagonist of countless video games to the disturbing focus of a motion picture. Framed from the perspective of an assassin pillaging idyllic McMansions in Florida, the film draws from Korine’s previous works like “Spring Breakers” and the less acclaimed “Aggro Dr1ft.” Here, the incendiary visuals and unsettling narrative mark a clearer purpose: to discomfort, disorient, and challenge the viewer relentlessly. It’s as if Korine resents his own audience, presenting a film that seems designed for no one.

Unsurprisingly for the director of “Gummo” and “Julien Donkey-Boy,” “Baby Invasion” is visually hypnotic yet thematically elusive. Set against the backdrop of our hyperconnected world of live-streaming and instant gratification, the film suggests we are fast becoming deranged entities. It does not pretend otherwise. The film features AI-generated images of babies’ faces grafted onto home invaders who, when not aimlessly standing around, unleash a barrage of bullets. Those familiar with first-person shooter games might find some affinity with the structured chaos as the protagonist gathers arsenal and health points.

If you ever played Nintendo 64’s “GoldenEye” and targeted peripheral characters aimlessly bouncing around, you might get a sense of how “Baby Invasion’s” secondary characters drift cluelessly through the frame. Korine envisions this as the future of cinema — a future where storytelling is consumed via home streaming devices with an intensity that demands better, more engaging content. If this is indeed the future, it’s a prospect that feels both haunting and compelling.

At a time when films tend to manipulate audiences into feeling a certain way, “Baby Invasion” rebels against convention. It is utterly indifferent to audience reception or involvement. This daring disregard is typical of Korine, who has a history of shoving provocative content into the throats of viewers, challenging them to look away, even when it’s impossible to do so.

“Baby Invasion” had its premiere at the 2024 Venice Film Festival and was met with an enthusiastic response. This stands in stark contrast to last year’s “Aggro Dr1ft,” which literally drove viewers from their seats. The film offers little in terms of traditional narrative, characters, or moral compass, instead playing out with an almost nihilistic urgency. Korine’s company, Edglrd, has provided a platform for such bizarre projects, suggesting that he believes “Baby Invasion” holds the key to cinema’s evolution. This notion is unsettling but noteworthy as the art form itself faces a crossroads in creativity.

The film places viewers in the perspective of a video game assassin. Yet the explicit violence is implied rather than shown. What we see are the bloody aftermaths, disintegrated bodies in high-contrast settings, sterilized patio furniture, and wealth laid bare. Concurrently, user comments scroll amusingly on the screen – “flirting with the edge of the abyss,” “body count running up like my procrastination,” detailing a dark humor amidst the chaos. The protagonist, presumably called Mr. Yellow, is one among a group of mercenaries using baby faces as their avatars, moving through an immersive, surreal world that shifts as he progresses.

Watching “Baby Invasion” feels more like being trapped in a visual prison than experiencing a movie. Korine pays no mind to viewer comfort, immersing them completely in the unsettling premise. While I found myself praying for escape, I was hypnotized by the relentless momentum. Korine conditions the audience to confront the same disturbances his film critiques, marking him as a bold visionary unafraid to take us to uncomfortable places. Will I watch this film again? Absolutely not. But will I forget it? Certainly not.

“Baby Invasion” debuted at the 2024 Venice Film Festival and is currently seeking U.S. distribution.

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