Gummo is a 1997 cult film written and directed by Harmony Korine, starring Jacob Reynolds, Nick Sutton, and Jacob Sewell. The film is set in Xenia, Ohio, a small, poor 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 denizens of the town. The film was Korine’s directorial debut. It was filmed in Nashville, Tennessee. Produced on a budget of $1 million,Gummo was not given a large theatrical release and failed to generate large box office revenues. The film generated substantial press for its graphic content and stylized narrative. Although some prominent critics initially detested the film, many noteworthy writers, film directors and artists championed it as an innovative, original masterpiece.
