Neptune Frost

Originally premiered at the 2021 Toronto Film Festival and 2022 Sundance Film Festival.

This is the first movie I have seen made in Rwanda (also the United States took part of this project as well) and it is directed by Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman and it is about an intersex African hacker, a coltan miner and the virtual marvel born as a result of their union. This movie is pretty strange, but I quite liked it.

Williams and Uzeyman is able to create a weird African musical science fiction type story through strange colorful production designs, weird performances, poetic dialogue, and very strange narrative choices throughout this movie. It felt more like an experience then actually watching a movie about characters roaming around the planet earth. The dialogue is interesting despite some of the wording feels a little fake. But the poetic lyrics and tone helps to keep it from falling. The colorful production and colorful background really helps to keep your eyes glued to the screen. All the performances are strange because I can't tell if they are being good or bad on purpose. Like it's trying to be an experimental still of filmmaking. Almost like something The Weekend would do but this is much more poetic then a The Weekend music video.

I don't often see movies from Africa and there are some really hidden gems in the African landscape. Movies like "Black Girl, Borders (2017), and Lingui, the Sacred Bonds" shows that African cinema is out there but you need to just look for them. I recommend this movie. It's weird but interesting.

Rating: B.