Rebels of the Neon God (2015)

People are voting emotionally.

Fresh and Exciting

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

The acting in this movie is really good.

The best film about the ironic alienation and loneliness in mega-cities ever made. There is no comparison to Rebels of a Neon God. It is unlike anything you've ever seen or will ever see. Upon careful analysis, it is almost impossible to discern even the basic foundations of a three/five act structure, like the classic act 1, plot point1, act 2 pt1, mid-point, act 2 pt2, plot point 2, act 3... all nowhere to be found. Tsai Ming-Liang has created A NEW LANGUAGE of film making here.An essential study for anyone willing to explore a radically different approach to film making. The only film I can think of comparing it to – in terms of creating a new language – is 'Persona' by Ingmar Bergman.Bravo Tsai! Bravo

On a more obvious level of multiple layers, a crucial, cultural point of significance seems lost in translation. As Rebels of the neon god comprise the sense of urban alienation, tradition and cultural adaptation, secularization, the decaying city and loss of identity, the original title translates literally Teenage Nezha. And as implied by his frustrated mother, the main character of Hsiao Kang bares resembling "qualities" to that of the rebel god, born into a human family and in constant opposition. While most reincarnations of Nezha grow additional limbs for the purpose of eradicating their father, Hsiao's idle hands become the playground for the prankster god. Sparked by an act of force, the two main plots of the film intertwine, and are further fueled by the returning violence. After their encounter in the arcade, Hsiao can be seen playing the same shoot-em-up as the one Ah Tze played while sitting next to him, symbolizing a change in character and the unraveling of the revenge. The directors returning use of water as ever-present, controlling element of nature, suppressing spaces of confined and human, primal behavior sets up a hierarchy of command in the metropolitan chaos of Taipei.

Young disaffected people in Taipei—two friends steal a lot of coins from telephones and other things. They also play a lot of videogames, and ride motorbikes and drink. One of them lives in an apartment that is always inexplicably flooded. A pretty girl, Ah Kuei (Yu-Wen Wang) takes up with one of them, and there is engagement and disengagement and anomie and sadness, though at the end they don't seem to give up on each other. Another boy drops out of school and follows the crooks, and sabotages a motorcycle, and other such things—his father drives a taxi, and his mother worries because she's been told he's a reincarnation of the god Norcha. The city itself is incredibly busy, cars and motorcycles and crowds everywhere. There's a lot of rain in this movie, too. It's a melancholy scene

Anyone who has ever visited Taipei would agree that this movie is so real by picturing out the decadent city. The city is getting more terrible with people who deeply believe in fake democracy but ignore their environmental improving. Our young heroes are victims like all the living victims one will easily find in streets of Taipei.