Some films arrive with so much hype you expect them to define a generation, but they end up as little more than a footnote. That’s the case with The Beach. I waited 25 years to see it, and in the end I hadn’t missed much. The film starts strong, with the promise of an initiatory journey and Leonardo DiCaprio fresh from the Titanic phenomenon. But it never quite knows what it wants to be: part glossy music video, part tropical thriller, part social allegory. In none of these areas does it fully succeed. Visually it’s striking — Boyle has always had an eye for staging, and the Thai landscapes look stunning. The soundtrack is also memorable, easily the most lasting element. But the script is unfocused, pretending to reflect on utopias and community ideals while settling for hollow lines and predictable twists. DiCaprio carries the role but his character feels underwritten, more a guide through pretty backdrops than a fully fleshed-out protagonist. The supporting cast barely registers, deepening the sense of superficiality. In the end, The Beach feels empty. It flirts with grand ideas but delivers little beyond postcard beauty. Watchable for its visuals and music, yes, but ultimately forgettable — a flashy surface hiding a hollow core.