Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon

Beyond the Black Rainbayou

There's a hypothetical version of this film that's essentially a remake of Amirpour's debut except set in a US as stylish and surreal as the Iran of A Girl Walks Home..., but the actual film never quite gets either up to that level or down to that grind. There are lots of great little set pieces in this, but where the very spare plot of AGWHLAN forced the characters to act, here they mostly seem to drift, and none more so than the supposed lead.

The usage of colour is certainly striking, and so is the soundtrack. Pretty good performances all around with none that go above and beyond. Camera work that is more focused on being intimate, rather than conventionally cinematic. Some good shots here and there. I can say this much, it has a style that sticks out. But that's not enough for me to give this a pass. Paper thin characters, no real tension, and the lack of exploring the mystery just makes the movie feel hollow.

Amirpour's Mona Lisa seems less focused on its escape plot & more interested on delivering a specific vibe that lies between neon-noire & karmic comeuppance. The film mostly forgoes backstory & exposition, using primary colours, seedy characters & chill-house music set against hazy nights as it forces its titular character to quickly adjust to urban noise. Hudson is great. Whitten & Jong-seo do a good job. A few odd moments, but the film constantly moderates its tension & is engaging throughout.