Rebels of the Neon God
Big World Pictures | Release Date: April 10, 2015 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
82
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 10 Critic Reviews
Positive:
10
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Village VoiceJonathan KieferApr 7, 2015
Tsai isn't without mischief — one key to this film's hypnotic power is humor so subtle it's practically subliminal — but his preferred takeaway is the pathos, the still-universal frustration, of an unanswered ringtone. Read full review
88
Washington PostMark JenkinsJul 9, 2015
Rebels of the Neon God rarely cracks a smile, but it’s as droll as it is disaffected. Read full review
88
Boston GlobePeter KeoughJul 9, 2015
Despite the self-conscious derivativeness and allusions, Tsai’s debut already demonstrates the contrariness and motifs that have distinguished him as a unique, difficult, and transcendent filmmaker. Read full review
88
Philadelphia InquirerTirdad DerakhshaniJul 3, 2015
A breathtaking, disturbing look at urban angst and the emptiness of youth culture. Read full review
88
Slant MagazineClayton DillardApr 6, 2015
Tsai Ming-liang's debut makes one yearn for an alternative reality where it, not Pulp Fiction, became the beacon of '90s independent filmmaking. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleJun 11, 2015
As a first film, it is incredibly accomplished, its influences (French New Wave, Wong Kar-Wai) apparent but integrated. Read full review
80
The New York TimesA.O. ScottApr 9, 2015
Mr. Tsai typically uses narrative as a tool for exploring the moods and meanings that link his characters with one another and with the city that awakens, contains and frustrates their desires. They seem very much stuck in their world, but because that world is the creation of a wildly original artist coming into his own, it also feels alive with possibility. Read full review
80
Time OutDavid EhrlichApr 8, 2015
Tsai’s work sees generational defiance as a symptom of the ennui felt by their young subjects as they drift into adulthood, and Rebels’ unusually sharp focus on that theme makes it an accessible primer for the elements that would inform the more oblique masterpieces to come. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloApr 8, 2015
Consequently, it’s primarily of interest to longtime fans, or to those who think they might become fans and want to take this opportunity to start at the beginning. If nothing else, this is a rare case in which a director’s feature debut doubles as his greatest-hits album. To watch it is to simultaneously see where Tsai Ming-liang came from and precisely where he was headed. Read full review
70
The DissolveScott TobiasApr 8, 2015
Though Rebels Of The Neon God is missing the austerity and discipline that would make Tsai’s master-shot style so effective—and funny—its relatively conventional approach (including a recurring musical theme!) doesn’t obscure the beautiful, enigmatic tone that’s long set him apart. Read full review
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