There were some who expressed pity for Shia LaBeouf when the actor revealed that he was going to watch all of his movies back to back, but it's just a shame it happened before this gem. For if anything could end a journey like that on a high note, it's 'American Honey'; an intense drama that has gripped most critics upon its opening at Cannes Film Festival 2016.

American Honey castAmerican Honey was generally a Cannes success

In summary, this comedic road-trip drama directed by the Academy Award winning Andrea Arnold (of 'Fish Tank' and 'Wuthering Heights' fame) has been praised for its cast, its vitality and its focus on feelings rather than story. Conversely, it has been attacked for its lack of plot, lengthiness and even naivete.

The Telegraph said that 'Shia LaBeouf has never looked worse or acted better', while IndieWire insisted that 'American Honey' is 'anchored by a stunning turn by newcomer Sasha Lane'. Neither points are argued across early reviews, but not everyone believes the Telegraph's point that the 'lack of a rigid structure or narrowing plotline makes this an electrifying, next-level experience'. 

'This is Arnold's lower-class fetishism at its most vacuous and exploitative', Slant Magazine slammed. 'It never feels like a depiction of a millennial's naturally blossoming infatuation, but rather a calculating filmmaker's overworked approximation of that experience.'

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There is the temptation to describe this movie as something you would either love or hate, but unfortunately that's a cliche that has never worked - not even for Marmite. The Guardian admits that while 'American Honey' is an 'often intriguing and humidly atmospheric film', it occasionally 'dwindles into listlessness'. Hardly the scathing attack of Slant, it reveals that while there was 'a scenery-chewing, furniture-smashing performance from Shia LaBeouf', the actor would have benefitted from 'stricter direction'. On the other hand, it was forgiving in the apparent naivete of the plot, adding that there was 'a kind of audacity and fidelity to experience'.

Predictably, many reviewers found the 2 hour 42 minute length a bit much, even if they enjoyed the essential point. The Wrap describes it as 'beautifully shot' before adding that it 'overstays its welcome, then sticks around for more'. The Hollywood Reporter confessed that it is much like 'a road movie without a map that nonetheless arrives at a worthwhile destination', adding that it's 'rambling but unexpectedly penetrating'.

If anything was a fair evaluation, however, it was IndieWire's suggestion of 'American Honey' being 'the closest thing to a magnum opus in Arnold's blossoming career'.