Neon Bull

Released Apr 8, 2016

1h 43m

Drama

List

88%

Tomatometer

51 Reviews

67%

Audience Score

250+ Ratings

A cowboy (Juliano Cazarré) designs exotic outfits for a sexy dancer (Maeve Jinkings) while working at a Brazilian rodeo.

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Critics Consensus

Neon Bull's hypnotic visual poetry occasionally borders on exploitation, though its reflective nature softens its animalistic gaze.

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Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

The Blue Lenses

The Neon Bull exists well beyond the realm of didacticism, surrendering instead to the joys and the discomforts of the senses.

Aug 25, 2018

Full Review

Tom Long

Detroit News

Most of the movie is poking bulls, blaring rodeo announcers, time spent in the back of the truck as the bulls are moved from point A to point B. Not exactly riveting stuff ...

Rated: C

Jul 15, 2016

Full Review

Scott Marks

San Diego Reader

With all the grace and symmetry of a peacock fanning its tail, director Gabriel Mascaro reveals his hand in quixotic blasts of expressionistic color, graphic sensuality, and a few things we've never before seen on film...

Rated: 4/5

Jul 14, 2016

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Aaron Boalick

Vague Visages

Mascaro internationalizes a strain of the French cinéma du corps as he weds it with the emerging art-house aesthetic of digital realism, crossing borders and species to create something extraordinary...

Dec 1, 2023

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

Securing Gabriel Mascaro laudable international renown, Neon Bull vaunts the director among the frontrunners forming a new generation of phenomenal Brazilian auteurs with this a moody, unpredictable drama.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 30, 2020

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Dustin Chang

ScreenAnarchy

An incredibly rich, intimate, warm portrait of human desire, jealousy, folly and dreams.

Jul 17, 2020

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Audience Member

This is not your average movie. Brazilian, Uruguayan and Dutch cooperations with a rather low budgets rarely are. There's a plot here but it's wide. It's also taking several turns and directions. Some people are living off tipping bulls on some sort of rodeo courses. People on horses force them down one way or another, when they are on there backs there is time for a new bull. Iremar got them hyped up, smacking them around. Throwing some powder on them. In the dark he uses neon colored powder. He release them and it's on. People dig it. Some do. They travel around doing this show for a main living. He's with his girlfriend, Galega and her ten year old daughter. They course a lot around her. She is not in the best surroundings and get's beatings too. Some other people are nasty fellas into porn magazines that are everywhere and people are in general rather trashy. Iremar got a dream, though. He is dreaming of designing womens clothes. That's a subplot here. There's cheating here, with pregnant women, there are horses being masturbated and there are some violence and loads of animal cruelty. They should not suffer for human entertainment, so I'm hoping there are some tricks used here. It's been recomended for people over 21 through IMDB but it's not THAT nasty to be honest. It's not especially graphic. Lovely shot and pretty unique. Never flat and something fresh. It's about dreams and getting around, while being poor is no theme. 7.5 out of 10 mannequins.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

really, i didnt review this.... shit, the best movie lately, brazilian at least... seen on 15/09/2016

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

joão p

Neon Bull is another prove that brazilian movies is evolving for better, exploring diferent stories and diferent characters, Gabriel Mascaro show another side of Brazil with splendid direction helped by solid performances and an amazing visual. (4/5)

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

Increíble película, de lo mejor del año (de los años)!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

Audience Member

interesting imagery on a few scenes, but that's all there's to it. the movie is a total bore as far as plot and character development go. don't waste your time.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Gabriel Mascaro has proven himself to be a talented director, but the same can't be said for his writing. "Neon Bull," his second fictional feature, is a film about a cowhand who has a passion for haute couture, but not the means to pursue it, likely due to Brazil's economic plight. Rather than use such an interesting premise to craft an engaging drama and/or make a meaningful statement, like a vaqueiro, Mascaro drags "Neon Bull" through the mud, draining it of color. And, with arguable animal abuse, arguable child neglect, and unnecessary graphic sex scenes on display here, it becomes difficult to differentiate between the people and the animals.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

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Gabriel Mascaro

Director

Juliano Cazarré

Iremar

Alyne Santana

Cacá

Carlos Pessoa

Zé

Maeve Jinkings

Galega

Josinaldo Alves

Mário

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Synopsis

A cowboy (Juliano Cazarré) designs exotic outfits for a sexy dancer (Maeve Jinkings) while working at a Brazilian rodeo.

Director: Gabriel Mascaro
Producer: Rachel Daisy Ellis
Screenwriter: Gabriel Mascaro, Marcelo Gomes
Distributor: Kino Lorber
Production Co: Programa Ibermedia, Desvia, Canal Brasil, Viking Film
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Portuguese (Brazil)
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 8, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 23, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $23.0K
Runtime: 1h 43m

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