Neon Lights

I watched this I'm still not sure what to make of it. It's not as bad as some of the reviews make it out to be but certainly not the best film either. I like thrillers a lot but for some reason something was missing with this film. It certainly has an interesting premise but falls sort of flat? I think some the actors were miscast in their roles too, some scenes felt like actors reading from a script rather than actually being the roles they were in. Kim coates and his daughter were good in this, I liked their characters. I didn't buy that Clarissa was Blair's mom though that felt super unrealistic and really off to me. I don't fault the actors with the material they were given it seemed like they did the best with what they had. The story was the weakest part for me. I think sometimes people forget that yes good cinematography, production design, lighting, locations etc are important but not as important as a good story that is compelling and keeps the viewer entertained. It had good production value for sure but it seemed like the focus was too much on it looking good rather than realizing the audience can forgive certain things, and as someone who loves indie films I have seen films with less production value but way better stories that make up for it because a good story is what will be the most memorable to people not some fancy camera angle or cooling looking shot. I think people who make films forget that story is the most important element at the end of the day.

Neon Lights, directed with colorful flair by Rouzbeh Heydari, boldly attempts a Shyamalan-worthy little kick. Regrettably, what comes before that concluding zinger is a confusing mess - one that could have been avoided with a stronger script.

And better acting.

The mystery within tries to build - unsuccessfully. There is no suspense. There is no ticking-clock. Even the veiled threat of a killer on the loose is mostly ignored. Kim Coates plays the devil-in-your-ear with all the hammy force he can muster but such talents are wasted as Clay's mumbling grounds any potential conflict into dust. The finale offers answers but even that Big Reveal is mostly a cough of an aside.

Heydari plays a visual tug-of-war between stressed-out reality and chaotic illusions but neither struggle is engaging. A mysterious man with a tux hides in the shadows but his threats are loudly impotent. This could have been a Sixth Sense-style debut. Instead, Neon Lights is ironically a dark slog of confusion, repetition, and poorly-directed, annoying characters.

I am not sure what was the purpose of the is movie. The story setup is intriguing, but everything else just falls apart.

Time: It is hard to tell if you are in the present, past or in someone's head. While part of this is intentional to blur the lines of reality, as a viewer if I do not know what is going on, I cannot become invested in the story.

Several of the characters are so over-the-top stereotypical I half expected Mickey Rooney to add buck teeth and pretend to be Chinese(older people will know the reference). The nerd has to be the ccomplete nerd, the bully a-hole pretty much made the movie unwatchable with his 'a-holeness'. Each person is playing such a caricature of another character that you have no one that you care about.

Overall very confusing with no payoff.

What can be said about this picture? Firstly, the first part of the film is a drag with a slow plot development. Secondly, further events are difficult to understand. It is hard to figure out where we see the present, and what episodes are playing in the head of the protagonist. One gets the impression that at a certain moment the creative team lost the thread of understanding and simply began to shoot frames that can really be mounted together.

As boring and pointless as it can be. I keep wondering there are people willing to invest money in producing these crap films. I lost any wish to watch it about twenty minutes into it.