CIRCUS MAXIMUS (2023)

There is a great tradition of the long form music video, mostly dominated by pioneering Black artists such as Michael Jackson, Janelle Monáe, Childish Gambino, Beyoncé, and Kanye West (I know, I know…). Travis Scott enters the conversation with CIRCUS MAXIMUS, a 75-minute film that was made in conjunction with Scott’s new album, Utopia.

The “plot” summary (if you can call this amalgamation of incredible visuals having a true plot) is as follows:

Travis Scott takes his audience on a mind-bending visual odyssey across the globe, woven together by the speaker rattling sounds of his highly anticipated upcoming album Utopia. A surreal and psychedelic journey, uniting a collective of visionary filmmakers from around the world in a kaleidoscopic exploration of human experience and the power of soundscapes.

And just who are those visionary filmmakers? Harmony Korine, Gaspar Noé, Kahlil Joseph, Nicolas Winding Refn, Valdimar Jóhansson, Andrew Dosunmu, and Scott himself. That is an incredible collection of excellent artists all assembled for this project. Does it always work? Nope! But is it exceptionally intriguing and worth your time? Yep!