This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
Kim Samples’s review published on Letterboxd:
This review may contain spoilers.
The Fight and Dreams for Freedom
“Neptune Frost is a beautifully poetic Afrofuturist film that captures your sense of wonder with its dynamic rhythm, dreamy flow and neon colors. Co-directors, Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman did a remarkable job showcasing a cause for liberation, anticapitalistic views and a strong bond between people fighting for their freedom. The metallic injustice to the planetary sustenance and the characters being hunted, targeted and tethered shows their will to survive and that the future is their home. The rave and techno vibe sets the tone as the characters dance between targets of understanding and boycott misery.
The film starts in death as Tekno gets killed while working in the mine. He holds up a piece of coltan, which is a valuable metal used to power electronics. The authority will not stand for a dreamer in their midst. Matalusa, Tekno’s brother, distraughtly embraces him as the workers dance to the drums as they grieve the loss. Matalusa barely escapes the abuse of a so-called caring pastor and flees to another dimension.
The dreamy, trippy and colorful scenes make the viewer tap into awareness and awakening. The visually beautiful characters, such as “the wheelman”, shows the interconnectedness and power in the earth. Cedric Mizero’s costumes were interesting, intriguing and demanded attention. The film would not have been the same without his talent and the talent of singer-songwriter Williams and his Afropunk. The music had various sound effects, sometimes the words were louder than the music but every time it had emotion, meaning and feeling.
I love the way Neptune spoke to the audience and said, “maybe you're asking yourself WTF is this?”. She knew exactly what I was thinking, a brilliant add by Williams and Uzeyman. Neptune, an intersex hacker travels from death with a parallel vision shared with Matalusa and is driven by destiny to find Matalusa Kingdom. There she will help lead and inspire a fight for freedom and build bonds that cannot be broken.
The authority is stealing their resources as well as their lives. They are invading their universities and their lands. The people are prisoners and their human spirit is being suppressed. I love how they have their music and dance as their own to feel and express themselves. They are in hell and running from life trying to find a better place. Matalusa and Neptune were brought together in such a place, Matalusa Kingdom. Neptune powered the kingdom with her inspiration, unity, fight and knowledge. The I-FI was brought by a gateway of power and a vision to get people's attention. Memory and Psychology, among others, believed Neptune and Matalusa’s connection was connecting them all.
The people are finding their voice toward the authority. They are not down for ignorance and are feeling the power and bond as one people. They are ready to fight with their middle finger up. The feel unloved, forgotten, exploited and are saying fuck Mr. Google and the authority. They are ready to crash the system and expose the corruption in a hunger to end the war.
In their driven state, in walks Innocent to disrupt their movement for action. He walks in disguised as a policeman striking fear into the kingdom. They are scared more authorities are on their way but his sister insists that he is not a policeman or a threat. She was blinded by kinship and her love for her brother. He was indeed there to betray them signaling the okay to the authority to take further action. The drone overhead, the bombs, the smoke and ash led to darkness and sadness as Neptune stands alone in silence. The film ends just as it began in death, Matalusa Kingdom resembled a minefield with drums and song grieving the lives lost.
“Neptune Frost” made the viewer hack into their inner self, their senses, the deeper issues in life and nature. I liked this film because of the love and connectedness between people united in a common goal. I love how the film made you decode the dreams through music and love. Their dreams are the one thing the authority could not take away from them. This is so true in life. I like how the film didn’t give a lot of the important information until over half way through to keep you guessing. The film was hard to follow at times but I liked how it pushes you to think deeper and outside your comfort zone and normal point of view. I recommend you watch this film and don’t give up, it will eventually grab you.