No society is flawless, and this is a realistic portrayal of circumstances that happen to be common in contemporary Latvia (and are not unknown elsewhere, of course). The father who can't be bothered to do serious parenting. The mother who all too eagerly works abroad. The son growing up without friends or role models. The daughter trying to take up the slack, even as she flounders in the perils of late adolescence.
It's also a realistic portrayal of young people's drug use. Too often, such films focus on addiction, psychosis, and death. In reality, this isn't what happens most of the time. Mostly, drugs are a phase young people go through, and the most imminent risks are related to the vulnerability of being intoxicated - as this film shows in different scenes. Are the risks worth it? The film doesn't force a clear answer, merely demonstrating how intoxication can also help overcome boundaries - facilitating, for instance, the protagonist's exploration of her sexuality - or provide respite from an otherwise bleak emotional life.
The film benefits from a compelling lead actress (this might not be obvious at first, but keep watching) and engaging cinematography, especially when it comes to the nightclub scenes that form much of the backdrop. In terms of story and atmosphere, it has much in common with another well-made Latvian film, Mellow Mud. That Neon Spring still has a mediocre average rating (at the time of writing, just 6.3) might be related to its refusal to moralise. Its only real imperfection seems to lie in its editing, which is if anything too tight at times. There are a few scenes that remain hard to understand even after an otherwise enjoyable second viewing.
