Shake the sand out of your belongings, say goodbye to the sun and take a look at Canvas to see what you forgot to do over the last week.Spring break is over. But even though we have to return to the grind of classes, assignments, not all is lost. With these movies, we can still pretend we’re on spring break.
'Spring Breakers'
Drugs, crime, bikinis and James Franco: "Spring Breakers” is a wild fever-dream of a movie, a 2012 cautionary tale dipped in neon lighting and tequila. The film follows four college students, including two played by Vanessa Hudgens and Selena Gomez, who rob a chicken restaurant in order to get money to go on spring break.
They board a bus and head to St. Petersburg, Florida, where they party it up until they get arrested for narcotics. They’re bailed out by local drug dealer Alien, played by a cornrow-wearing Franco complete with a gold grill, and things devolve into violence as their criminal activity escalates.
More than a mindless party-and-crime movie, the film presents some stinging social commentary on success, escape and ruthlessness. It flashes backward and forward and at times seems driven bythe senses, with color and mood overriding the narrative itself. But what could be more spring break than that?
'Y Tu Mamá También'
For college students on a budget, many spring break destinations were the result of hours-long road trips, like the one featured in the 2001 coming-of-age Mexican drama “Y Tu Mamá También.”
The film follows two young friends who go on a road trip with an older woman to Boca del Cielo, a secluded fishing town and beach. The three set out on an hours-long drive and talk about life, love and more.
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón and co-written by him and his brother Carlos, it becomes a touching tribute to youth that also wrangles with issues like the passing of time and mortality.
It’s also a gorgeous tour through the Mexican countryside, and the trio’s final beach destination is a sight to behold.
'Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened'
If you didn’t get to experience a destination spring break, you can at least have some laughs at vacationers’ expense by watching the Netflix documentary “Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened.”
The documentary, released in January to a fanfare of social media praise, memes and outrage, follows the failed 2017 Fyre Festival, marketed as a “luxury music festival” and promoted by rapper Ja Rule and the CEO of Fyre Media Inc., Billy McFarland.
Would-be festival-goers were charged thousands of dollars for what was promised to be the experience of a lifetime, with supermodels and social media influencers frolicking on a Bahamian island while attendees lounged in luxury villas eating gourmet meals. Instead, they arrived to find it was all a lie.
The documentary shows the behind-the-scenes of the festival, thanks to footage shot during the festival’s development. It’s the documentary equivalent of watching a car crash in slow motionbut with a beachy vibe.
