The Best Films Made By Neon

Neon is an indie movie studio that’s grown in popularity since its founding in 2017. This production company specializes in really unique, avant-garde filmmaking material that’s quite on par with its distant cousin, A24. Whether it’s drama, horror, comedy, or science-fiction, the Neon banner means something really mind-blowing and different awaits.

Famous directors like David Cronenberg, Michael Mann, and Bong Joon Ho have had their films distributed by Neon. You also have popular Nicolas Cage works, like Longlegs and Pig, and Sean Baker’s Anora as a product of this remarkable indie studio. But there are also plenty of hidden gems from Neon to check out below!

12

Infinity Pool

Brandon Cronenberg is very much the ‘mini-me’ version of his father, David Cronenberg, in terms of his dark and disturbing cinematic vision. Infinity Pool is his third film, and this one stars Mia Goth and Alexander Skarsgård in one of their most unhinged and intense performances. It’s a weird ride packed with mind-bending turns and excellent cinematography, and delivers more Cronenberg content than any of his father’s recent films.

The film is a psychological sci-fi vacation horror set on an island resort in the fictional Eastern European nation of La Tolqa, where crime is punishable by public execution. It follows a married couple, James and Em Foster, the former of whom is a struggling writer. When a tragic accident occurs, James decides to clone himself to have a stand-in for his execution, and this event spirals into a disturbing hedonistic trip where he and his new group, led by Mia Goth’s Gabi, can seemingly get away with murder.

11

Crimes Of The Future

Crimes of the Future was David Cronenberg’s much-awaited return to body horror and sci-fi, and it shares many similarities with his 1999 film Existenz. It tells an original and shocking story of a dystopian future affected by climate change, where humans have evolved to feel no pain and thus have bizarre surgeries and modify their bodies with extra organs to instead feel pleasure from it, even treating it as a form of performance art.

The main character is Saul Tenser, who has Advanced Evolutionary Syndrome, a condition where his body continually produces extra sets of organs, leading to increased pain and digestive discomfort. Meanwhile, there’s also a rogue group who have illegally altered their digestive systems to consume synthetic plastic from delectable purple bars. It’s not as strong as Cronenberg’s early works but still has a thought-provoking narrative that leaves you with an unforgettable ending.

10

The Lodge

Neon’s The Lodge is an underrated horror movie from the 2010s. It’s from the same filmmaking duo behind the original Goodnight Mommy, so dark horror themes with an excellent twist are what you’ll get here in their follow-up. The Lodge also takes place in an isolated snowed-in cabin during the holidays, so there’s plenty of unsettling atmosphere in addition to the events that play out.

The Lodge tells the tragic story of two siblings who have lost their mother to suicide and are forced to spend time with their soon-to-be stepmother in their family’s lodge. However, Grace, their father’s fiancé, was born into an eerie cult of which she was the only survivor of their mass suicide, and she’s now in charge of her two stepkids during this traumatic moment in her life, in an increasingly isolated setting.

9

Ferrari

With movies like Heat, The Last of the Mohicans, Miami Vice, and Ali, Oscar-nominated director Michael Mann teamed with Neon for his biopic on Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the luxury sports car manufacturer of the same name. However, if you think the film focuses more on the race car driving aspect, you’d be very wrong and would best turn to the Fast and Furious series instead.

Ferrari does eventually touch upon the devastating 1957 Mille Miglia crash that claimed the life of race car driver Alfonso de Portago and nearby onlookers in Guidizzolo, but the film is largely a deeper look into the personal life of Enzo Ferrari and all of his financial risks with the company as well as his infidelity to his wife, Laura. As usual, Adam Driver and Penélope Cruz present you with two masterful performances.

8

Pig

Just when it looked like Nicolas Cage’s movies seemed to have been low-budget bomb after low-budget bomb that failed to garner any critical success came the surprise of Pig in 2021. While the story might sound like a similar plot to John Wick substituted with a truffle hunter who goes after his stolen pig, there’s no action whatsoever; just a wonderful dramatic and melancholy performance by Cage.

Pig feels like the resurgence of Nicolas Cage’s career as a serious and believable dramatic actor rather than the more over-the-top characters that he now tends to over-act. This film is about one man’s bond with his animal, the grief he holds onto over the loss of his wife, and how all of it has impacted his life. And the story plays out beautifully, even if a little slow at times.

7

Sanctuary

Sanctuary is essentially Neon’s Babygirl and puts a very fun twist on the portrayal of a dominant and submissive relationship. The entire movie is an intimate back-and-forth between two characters taking place over the course of one unhinged night. The script is very well-written and the pacing keeps you perfectly engaged in trying to figure out where the plot goes next, with an ending that makes the overall experience satisfying.

The electric performances by Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott are the main highlight. Qualley plays Rebecca, a very convincing, manipulative, and evil dominatrix who can’t let go of her control over Hal and stop tapping into his psychological and sexual proclivities. Hal, however, wants to end their relationship for good after inheriting his father’s hotel, and it’s a tense nightmare that unfolds.

6

Longlegs

Nicolas Cage had a much more memorable Neon outing with director Oz Perkins in the 2024 supernatural detective horror film, Longlegs. Every moment Cage was on-screen was wildly entertaining in the most Nic Cage way you can imagine. Those scenes of him as the creepy, Satan-worshiping Dale Cobble can be rewatched endlessly, especially his relatable “Mommy, Daddy” monologue that he yells out in the car.

Although you can see some of the major twists in Longlegs coming, the story lays out a captivating mystery about a serial killer aided by the devil who chooses victims based on their birthdays falling on the 14th of the month. It puts an original spin on Satan and the possession of dolls and Maika Monroe equally stands out in her performance as Lee Harker. This film is also a testament to Neon’s incredible marketing powers.

5

Possessor

Brandon Cronenberg’s sophomore effort in filmmaking remains one of his best works. Just when you thought assassin films were starting to become overdone and stale, he provides a reimagined way of bringing another assassin into cinema. Possessor is a sci-fi psychological horror assassin story, where hits are being carried out by the use of futuristic tech that allows them to possess others.

Tasya Vos (exceptionally played by Andrea Riseborough) is ordered to eliminate the CEO of a company by taking control of his future son-in-law, Colin Tate. The whole process is very disturbing and comes with negative side effects that will change the course of both Tasya’s life and the unsuspecting man she possesses through the machine. There will be some amazing twists in store, and it’s all coupled with excellent sound design and plenty of grotesque immersive visuals.

4

Cuckoo

If you’re a writer, especially working in the horror genre, Cuckoo is a movie that will quite literally make you say, ‘Wow, why didn’t I think of that?’ The concept is very unique, fresh, and unlike anything you’ve seen done before, which is difficult to evoke that kind of surprise response in the horror genre these days. The setting is also the Bavarian Alps, which is very atmospheric and different.

Cuckoo follows a young woman named Gretchen, played by Hunter Schafer, who grieves her mother and is forced to journey with her father, stepmother, and younger stepsister to a resort in the Alps owned by the enigmatic Herr König (a brilliant villain performance by Dan Stevens). König is very welcoming, but not everything is as it seems at the resort. Without giving too much away, the horror enemies here serve as the most unique part of the plot and speak directly to the film’s name.

3

Anatomy Of A Fall

This Palme d’Or winner and 2024 Golden Globe and Oscar winner for Best Screenplay is a triumph of a suspenseful legal drama by Justine Triet. Anatomy of a Fall puts Sandra Voyter’s life and marriage under a microscope when her husband takes an apparent accidental fall from their bedroom while working on renovating their new home. Was it an accident, a suicide, or a murder? That’s where the film’s smart script keeps you guessing.

Sandra is soon on trial for her husband’s murder and must prove her innocence with the help of her friend and dedicated lawyer Vincent Renzi. There are lots of suspicions and circumstances that arise that may point to the fall being a murder, but also compelling evidence to suggest Sandra is telling the truth. The unique element about this case is the main witness is the couple’s son, who’s blind and requires his adorable Border Collie guide dog, Snoop.

2

Anora

Anora comes from the genius of Sean Baker, and it finally earned him the Palme d’Or at Cannes along with nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay at the Oscars and Golden Globes. Baker writes and directs very meaningful dramedy narratives, and Anora is perhaps some of his best writing yet. It’s about an escort from Brooklyn marrying into a wealthy Russian oligarch family and embarking on a turbulent and short-lived Cinderella story.

The dialogue and story moments are hilarious, sharp, and just super fun and relatable (especially if you’re Russian). The film carries a bit of that chaotic Uncut Gems energy in its second half and the immersive, seamless editing and soundtrack are amazing. The Russian characters are all phenomenal, especially Vanya, Igor, and Toros, with actor Yura Borisov receiving an Oscar nomination for his role. Oscar-nominated star Mikey Madison was also on fire in her delivery as Ani and outshone all of her past roles.

1

Parasite

The best film Neon ever acquired and distributed is Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite. It’s the winner of four Oscars – Best International Feature, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture – as well as the Palme d’Or, and deservedly so. Parasite is a cleverly woven story about an impoverished family in South Korea that cons and deceives their way into a life of luxury by working for a wealthy family, and takes some truly shocking twists and turns.

Just as Netflix’s Squid Game offers a more violent exploration of poverty and desperation for wealth in Korean society, Parasite explores this theme of class struggle in a more relatable and devious manner. It’s a brilliant and stunning cinematic achievement by the legendary Bong Joon Ho that can’t be praised enough and is definitely one of the most important films you’ll see in your lifetime.