Overview
- Refn’s first feature in a decade premiered out of competition at Cannes on Monday, drawing a reported seven‑minute ovation as Sophie Thatcher teared up and the director addressed the crowd.
- Onstage, Refn said he had been resuscitated after being clinically dead for about 25 minutes and described cinema as a shared experience he sees as newly vital.
- Festival reviews since the premiere are starkly divided, with outlets like IndieWire and JoBlo condemning thin storytelling while others, including British Vogue and some critics on social media, praised the visuals, Pino Donaggio’s score, and Thatcher’s presence.
- The first teaser released Monday highlights a neon‑soaked sci‑fi horror setting where a mysterious mist engulfs a city, a young woman searches for her father, an American GI hunts for his daughter, and a violent figure called the Leather Man stalks victims.
- NEON has dated a July 24 U.S. theatrical rollout, positioning the film’s polarized Cannes buzz—plus Refn’s decade away on TV projects—as the backdrop that will shape audience curiosity ahead of summer release.