Mediocre but enjoyable

Rating: 6/10 (26 April 2020)

The Beach is an anti-tourism movie seen through the eyes of a tourist.
Both the film and the book follow the experiences of Richard, a young traveler looking to explore something outside the beaten roads most tourists follow. He catches wind of a secret, idyllic, untouched beach from "Daffy Duck" who kills himself shortly after. Richard then goes on to find this mystical beach but finds that paradise isn't all that it seems to be.
Some differences remain between the film and the book. Director Danny Boyle takes some artistic liberties that make the plot a bit different than Alex Garland's book. With this, Boyle is still able to build on Garland's initial points laid out in the book. Most changes are believable and the film can be enjoyed as a standalone. The artistic liberties Boyle takes also help drive the plot a bit faster than the book.
The casting of young Leonardo DiCaprio is genius as he seems to encapsulate the character of Richard well. The world-building of a dirty, rotten tourist hell that Richard wants to avoid is also well created. Audiences can see why residents at the beach want to keep it hidden from the outside world. Watching this movie also captures the "tourist vs traveler" mindsets perfectly well.
Outside all the positives that this film has to offer, this film has some flaws. Namely, the film itself isn't that exciting. It seems to miss the "awe" moment that Richard feels when he comes to the island. It also seems to force some plot points for the sake of moving the story. Some events seem forced and not believable.
Though there were some scenic moments, the film seems to be a collection of events from the book rather than a cohesive collection. And I find that this film's biggest flaw.
But I wouldn't blame this on Boyle's directing or DiCaprio's acting. Sometimes it's hard to create a book-to-film adaptation.
3/5. Mediocre but enjoyable.