“From the mind that brought you Spring Breakers” should really be all you need to know about the first trailer for The Beach Bum. The latest outsider odyssey from Harmony Korine stars Matthew McConaughey as the eponymous beach bum — a guy named Moondog whose entire wardrobe seemingly consists of clothing scavenged from the dumpsters of David Lee Roth and Guy Fieri, and who is, he says, a poet from another dimension.
We’ve been looking forward to Laika’s upcoming fantasy adventure Kubo and the Two Strings since the first trailer surfaced back in December. The fledgling studio has accrued a ’00s-Pixar-level spotless track record in the past seven years; their releases Coraline, ParaNorman, and The Boxtrolls dazzled critics and audiences alike with their blend of ceaselessly clever humor and stop-motion wizardry. There’s no reason to believe Kubo won’t continue this hot streak for Laika, and the latest trailer to appear online cements this as one of the year’s most exciting animated releases. (Though the potential for crossover appeal in the world of furries is not quite as great as that of Zootopia. Point, Disney.)
The drama finds McConaughey portraying a wayward businessman who travels to Aokigahara to end his life, but before he can do so, he meets a like-minded soul (Ken Watanabe) who’s come for the same reason.
Remember the days of a tanned, shirtless Matthew McConaughey? How about the suave bearded McConaughey at the Oscars? We regret to inform you that such things exist only in the past.