Overview
In the neon-lit streets of Taipei, rebellion brews among the youth.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- alienated
- eerie
- late night viewing
- rainy day
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Tsai Ming-liang's debut as a formally accomplished, fully realized study of alienated youth and metropolitan disconnection.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Hsiao-kang abandons cram school for downtown Taipei and becomes entangled with Ah-tze amid nihilism, vandalism, and dysfunctional family pressure.
Downtown Taipei, arcades, bright lights, torrential downpours, and flooding create the film's defining urban atmosphere.
Hsiao-kang's fascination with the hood Ah-tze develops as a confused mixture of hero-worship, identification, and competition.
Torrential rain and a mysterious flood in a main character's apartment turn Taipei's everyday architecture into a source of disquiet.
Films like Rebels of the Neon God, and why
Taipei Story
urban alienation, alienated youth, spare modernist observation, and emotionally withheld character dynamics
Millennium Mambo
young outsiders, nocturnal city spaces, criminal drift, and melancholic Taiwanese new wave atmosphere
Vive L'Amour
minimalist pacing, dysfunctional relationships, urban loneliness, and deadpan emotional disconnection
Chungking Express
restless youth, metropolitan disaffection, fractured identity, and cool observational style
Movie Details
- Director
- Tsai Ming-liang
- Release Date
- 1994-08-04
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (161)
Cast
- Lee Kang-sheng
- Chen Chao-jung
- Wang Yu-wen
- Jen Chang-bin
- Miao Tian
- Lu Yi-ching
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- OVID, MUBI Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Rebels of the Neon God about?
- A restless Taipei teenager seeks escape in the neon city, only to become caught in a volatile orbit of fascination, rivalry, and urban disaffection.
- What is Rebels of the Neon God like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Rebels of the Neon God as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Rebels of the Neon God violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Rebels of the Neon God as mild.
- What did critics think of Rebels of the Neon God?
- Critics broadly regard Tsai Ming-liang's debut as a formally accomplished, fully realized study of alienated youth and metropolitan disconnection.
- Which films are like Rebels of the Neon God?
- Films with a similar feel include Taipei Story, Millennium Mambo, Vive L'Amour, and Chungking Express.
- How long is Rebels of the Neon God?
- Rebels of the Neon God runs 106 minutes.
- Where can I watch Rebels of the Neon God?
- In United States, Rebels of the Neon God streams on OVID, MUBI Amazon Channel.
