The Beach (2000)

The Beach makes a strong case for vacationing in your own backyard. Leonardo DiCaprio’s Richard wants adventure and something real, and the movie can’t decide whether he’s a hero or a cautionary tale, so he ends up as a pretty annoying narrator. The first half is the good part. The map, the swim to the island, and that first look at a lagoon hidden inside a ring of cliffs are dreamy. Tilda Swinton is excellent as Sal, a smiling leader whose calm hides something cold. Robert Carlyle’s Daffy is a jittery, memorable warning sign. Then the community starts to crack, and the movie takes a strange detour where Richard runs around the jungle like he’s a character in an arcade game. The tone lurches from travel ad to survival thriller without settling on either. It made $144.1 million worldwide on a reported $50M, and it holds a 21% on Rotten Tomatoes. A 4.4 because the scenery is perfect and the story isn’t. $2,751 says you post your next vacation photos and quietly crop out every other tourist.

What works: The hidden lagoon looks like a dream, and Tilda Swinton makes Sal both welcoming and quietly frightening.

What doesn’t: Richard is hard to root for, and the jungle arcade-game detour feels like it belongs in a different movie.

Who it’s for: Travelers who daydream about secret beaches and want a reminder of how fast paradise can go sour.