Film Review: ‘American Honey’ is a New National Anthem for All of Us

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Average: 5 (1 vote)

CHICAGO – The America we find ourselves in today would never have been imagined by our ancestors. Sure, we don’t have flying cars or robotic house servants but we do have different ways of life. “American Honey” shows the sweet and sour side of my generation’s new American Dream while keeping it infinitely relatable to everyone.

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 4.0/5.0
Rating: 4.0/5.0

There are those films that have a spirit that transcends any physical attributes like cinematography, pacing or even story. It encompasses all of these things, but is not just defined by them. It is the contagious charm and effervescence that embodies the soulful essence of youth. “American Honey” perfectly embodies the new experiences of our youth, like our first love, our first taste of true independence and also our first heartbreak. The beauty behind the film stems from how relatable every experience is despite its specific circumstances. If for some very unlikely reason you can’t identify with any of the characters emotionally, there is no escaping the empathy it brings out in everyone.

Writer/Director Andrea Arnold may be from the UK, but with her previous experience directing episodes of “Transparent” and writing/directing the film “Fish Tank”, she has shown she understands the changing and evergreen experiences of this generation’s adolescents. Every relationship, romantic or otherwise, is developed slowly and with care. With an almost 3-hour run time, “American Honey” takes the time to masterfully craft each person’s budding romance or friendship in a meandering, but naturalistic pace. This technique allows for the audience to create attachments and empathize with Star, but also to become concerned, almost critical of the direction of your life. We feel the need to project our life experience on the similar situations she is facing, but end up feeling a sense of catharsis when she discovers, like we did, that we are a culmination of our experiences, including the educational mistakes.

“American Honey” opened everywhere on October 7th. Featuring Sasha Lane, Shia LaBeouf, Riley Keough, McCaul Lombardi, Arielle Holmes, Crystal Ice, Veronica Ezell, Chad Cox, Garry Howell, and Will Patton. Directed by Andrea Arnold. Screenplay by Andrea Arnold. Rated “R”

StarContinue reading for Jon Espino’s full review of “American Honey”

Hon1
Sasha Lane in ‘American Honey’
Photo credit: A24

StarContinue reading for Jon Espino’s full review of “American Honey”

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