80
Metascore
15 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlVillage VoiceAlan ScherstuhlNo matter how rigorously worked out each shot and its action might be, Neon Bull always honors the chaotic looseness of everyday living — the way that, unlike in the movies, few of the moments we inhabit seem to be about just one thing.
- 100The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenNeon Bull is a profound reflection on the intersection of the human and bestial.
- 88Slant MagazineChuck BowenSlant MagazineChuck BowenEverything in the film is understood to be a subsumed sex act, with actual sex serving as a contextualizing catharsis.
- 83The PlaylistKatie WalshThe PlaylistKatie WalshMascaro’s film is an auspicious, original, and absorbing work that thrills with its look into this little-seen world and the dreamers that inhabit it.
- 80CineVueJohn BleasdaleCineVueJohn BleasdaleAlthough the narrative risks becoming arbitrarily episodic towards the end, Neon Bull is a genuine celebration of its characters and their grounded physical life as well as their obstinate ability to dream.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijThe Hollywood ReporterBoyd van HoeijInstead of a straightforward narrative arc for the small cast of characters, the film -- gorgeously shot and framed by Cemetery of Splendor cinematographer Diego Garcia -- combines a documentary-like look at their everyday lives with a fascinating if not entirely clear-cut exploration of body and gender issues.
- 80VarietyPeter DebrugeVarietyPeter DebrugeNeon Bull keeps a cinematic distance at nearly all times, seldom moving in for closeups and allowing most scenes to play out in a single shot. Whether his subjects are shoveling manure or showering down afterward, Mascaro prefers to celebrate these figures in their physical entirety.
- 67The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloThe A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloWriter-director Gabriel Mascaro doesn’t really have a story to tell about these folks, but he does have a wealth of almost documentary-style detail to share, plus style to burn, and that’s nearly enough.
- 50RogerEbert.comGodfrey CheshireRogerEbert.comGodfrey CheshireThe latest example of what I call an emperor’s-new-clothes film is Neon Bull.