Gummo (1997)

Gummo is a 1997 American experimental drama film written and directed by Harmony Korine (in his directorial debut), and starring Linda Manz, Max Perlich, Jacob Sewell, Jacob Reynolds, Chloë Sevigny, and Nick Sutton. It is set in Xenia, Ohio, a Midwestern American town that had been previously struck by a devastating tornado. The loose narrative follows several main characters who find odd and destructive ways to pass time, interrupted by vignettes depicting other inhabitants of the town.

Gummo was shot in Nashville, Tennessee, on an estimated budget of $1.3 million. It was not given a large theatrical release and failed to generate large box office revenues. It received generally negative reviews from critics, and generated substantial press for its graphic content and stylized, loosely woven narrative. The film has become a cult film, and entered the Criterion Collection in 2024.