Clay (Dana Abraham, who also helped write the script) has decided to travel to an off the grid location. He needs to escape from the pressures of the tech company he runs. He takes the chance to reconnect with members of his family but when they begin to disappear, all hopes for normalcy vanish. Two performances immediately stand out. Kim Coates takes over every scene as the mysterious Denver. He is menacing, sinister, and something of a bully. As audiences try to work their way through the plot of Neon Lights, Coates is the one constant.
Abraham is not as impressive. Clay speaks in a timid throaty whisper that is supposed to highlight the mental anguish he is going through. It is uneven and frustrating and never seems natural. The best written character may be Clay’s older brother Benny (Rene Escobar Jr.). Overbearing and insecure, he is the only character in Neon Lights given any depth. He may not be exciting to watch, but his motivations are clear.
Neon Lights is all over the place as it works really hard to keep anyone watching in the dark. This is a mixed bag as the various relationships are not always built effectively, but there is always the question of Clay’s true reason for bringing everyone together. As things progress, more layers are added. There are clues and red herrings, but it never succeeds at drawing viewers into its twisting plot. Neon Lights lacks the dynamic storytelling that will make audiences try to unravel its mysteries.
Things finally become interesting as the film races towards its finale. The plot does away with poor attempts at misdirection and actually works at telling a coherent story. It does become silly and the final shot pretty much erases everything that was done in the previous minutes, but it is also the first time audiences can follow along.
Neon Lights will be available on demand and digital July 12
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