As a seasoned film critic with over two decades of experience under my belt, I must say that “Baby Invasion” left me feeling rather perplexed and somewhat underwhelmed. The novelty of the baby-faced avatars didn’t quite translate into an engaging viewing experience for me. It seemed more like a gimmick than a thoughtful narrative device, much like a carnival mirror that distorts your reflection in an amusing yet ultimately meaningless way.
“An A Clockwork Orange” begins by depicting Alex DeLarge and his companions burglarizing a wealthy writer’s residence, where they commit heinous acts, including assaulting the wife while humming “Singin’ in the Rain”. This disturbing scene remains just as shocking after 50 years, due to Stanley Kubrick’s skillful portrayal of extreme violence as an enjoyable activity for the troubled youths involved. Is there anything more nihilistic than that?”
Harmony Korine, known for his rebellious middle-aged charm, believes this statement holds true. His latest creation from the boundary-pushing EDGLRD studio, titled “Baby Invasion,” merges reality and a gritty video game world so seamlessly that it’s often unclear whether we’re watching real life or a virtual scene throughout the 79-minute duration of this mind-bending production.
Footage captured personally showcases Florida’s grand mansions being devastated by individuals addicted to screens, who appear eerie due to face-swapping technology that transforms armed intruders into infants adorned with demonic horns. Additionally, a mysterious CGI rabbit makes appearances thanks to AI. All of this, along with an impromptu dance party, forms part of a bold and unconventional exploration of how technology impacts our psyche, and vice versa, in the realm of cinema.
Stepping into the realm of cinematic exploration, I must confess that “Baby Invasion” is a daring and sometimes bewildering amalgamation of concepts from Harmony Korine’s recent creative journey. It echoes back to his provocative works like “Spring Breakers,” with its raw portrayal of criminal escapades, and the enigmatic, categorically unclassifiable “Trash Humpers.”
“Baby Invasion” aims for an eerie, subterranean ambiance, yet it presents a challenge to decipher due to its enigmatic nature. Director Korine refrains from overtly expressing any clear message in this puzzling piece, instead offering the ambiguous clue that reads: a misleading hint suggesting something entirely different.
THIS IS NOT A MOVIE.THIS IS A GAME.THIS IS REAL LIFE.
THERE IS JUST NOW, THE ENDLESS NOW.
Essentially, “Baby Invasion” appears to be clandestine footage of a peculiar game. In this game, lawbreakers infiltrate wealthy individuals’ mansions, disguising themselves using AI-created baby masks. The video somehow found its way onto the Dark Web and became popular. The specifics are intentionally unclear, but Spanish-speaking developers working with VR technology contribute to its storyline. Since clarity is scarce, mythology tends to fill in the gaps.
all the events depicted might be virtual, much like the movie itself is just a work of fiction, in which case the film’s impact would be diminished.
Similar to how “Aggro Dr1ft” from last year aimed to transfer the logic and visual style of video games into cinema, “Baby Invasion” attempts a daring experiment that appears to shake up a medium which has become somewhat tedious for Korine since his adolescent tinkering with it. Over time, there’s been an impressive continuity in his artistic methods, tracing back as far as “Kids” (which he wrote) and “Gummo” (which he directed). He seems to embody the spirit of those troublemakers who fling scorpions onto the anthill in the opening scene of “The Wild Bunch,” where the act of provocation appears to be the main objective.
Instead of widely utilizing slow, detailed digital effects like many filmmakers, Korine opted for high-speed graphics processors and real-time rendering technology, distorting the footage during capture itself. This technique, observed in “Baby Invasion” and “Aggro Dr1ft,” offers a mix of detachment and intense immersion – a move that likely would have astonished Brecht due to its gaming-like approach, as Korine draws from the language of video games.
Throughout “Baby Invasion,” we experience perspectives that range from the personal viewpoint of an individual referred to as “Yellow” (familiar terrain for first-person-shooter enthusiasts, but potentially confusing for others), or raw surveillance footage of real crime scenes (some of it scripted, the rest captured by on-site security cameras). The presentation of these missions often involves characters with coded colors gathering and selecting their weapons before setting off towards the target. In this instance, the destination is a lengthy, uneventful car journey.
As the players come onto the screen, a floating green box appears above them which superimposes a computer-generated (CG) baby image over their actual faces. Occasionally, there are technical issues that cause additional baby heads to appear in unexpected locations or for brief moments of flickering where the real player’s faces become visible again. Despite these minor glitches, the overall effect isn’t as misleading as it might seem. It’s clear that what we’re watching isn’t actual infant behavior, and no babies were involved or hurt during this process. The intention behind this technology is to trick surveillance cameras; however, it’s hard to see how it would succeed since all it does is conceal the players’ identities from other viewers who are commenting live on a Twitch-like platform. These comments stream across the right side of the screen in a continuous feed.
Despite being somewhat superficial, the ‘baby’ aspect provides Korine with a catchy premise for an experiment, which maintains interest only sporadically during its duration. To compound matters, Yellow appears uncertain, acting more as an observer than a player, occasionally leaving to visit the bathroom or straying from the action to participate in optional tasks. In one of these detours, he leisurely exits to the backyard to shoot 8-bit monsters. On another occasion, he engages in a vibrant bicycle race through the gardens. If this description seems unappealing, it’s accurate.
Nevertheless, Kornine consistently maintains a palpable unease throughout the film, keeping viewers on edge due to the uncertainty of his next move. Unlike in his previous works, the director’s distinctive ADHD editing style (characterized by unconventional, disjointed transitions) is less prominent here, leading some scenes to feel prolonged. However, the underlying dread is undeniable: The characters derive pleasure from burglarizing homes, and the game manages to make this act enjoyable – or at least more enjoyable than their ordinary lives – despite lacking any apparent consequences for them.
Speaking as a film enthusiast, “Baby Invasion” shares some similarities with “Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer,” but it’s less disturbing due to its more subtle depiction of violence. Unlike Henry, there are no law enforcement figures in sight, and the consequences of the violent acts are left implicit. The victims are often seen at a distance or hidden under white sheets, a choice that adds an air of abstraction and detachment. This restraint, however, paradoxically diminishes the impact of the shocking scenes that have already transpired, as Mr. Yellow navigates through the houses where the worst has already occurred.
Through it all, a low, vaguely Satanic score churns in the background, while a woman’s voice drones on about a creature, a demon and a rabbit. If I didn’t know better, I would have guessed the music had been generated by AI as well, though it’s credited to electronic musician Burial, just one of the adventurous collaborators willing to go along with Korine on this wild ride (one that seems far more interesting to create than it is to consume). At one point, between raids, the camera floats through Korine’s EDGLRD headquarters, roaming the CG hallways until it finds a bank of monitors with another home invasion to experience.
Just like Queen asks, “Is this reality or a dream?” Who is this enigmatic group known as Duck Mobb? Are they another name for Korine, or are they the masked figures controlling events? The problem lies in Korine’s ambiguous style, making it hard to tell real events from digital enhancements. This leaves us guessing what and how to analyze. While meaning might be hard to grasp, there’s certainly plenty to intrigue and provoke us throughout his work.
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2024-09-01 01:18