Mona Lisa And The Blood Moon is the latest film from Ana Lily Amirpour, who has carved a niche for herself in idiosyncratic genre-benders that are more about the vibes than it is about the thrills. This new ones is like Firestarter by way of late era Harmony Korine. It follows the titular Mona Lisa (Jeon Jong-seo), though that is probably not be her real name, who escapes an asylum in the opening scene, where it is revealed that she has powers. She is able to control people’s movements, bending them to her will with mere eye contact. She runs off, and finds herself alone in New Orleans.
There, she comes across a number of colorful characters, some more helpful and friendly than others, like the eccentric drug dealer Fuzz (Ed Skrein), who buys her some food in a convenience store. Eventually, Mona meets Bonnie (Kate Hudson), a stripper with a not-so heart of gold who is rather neglectful of her young boy, Charlie (Evan Whitten), while she goes out with Mona to scam people out of their money using her powers. However, they are hunted by the determined Officer Harold (Craig Robinson), who was forced to shoot himself in the leg by Mona on the night of her escape, leaving him walking in a cane for the duration of the film.
Amirpour’s films have some interesting elements that seem to keep popping up. The free wheeling energy that keeps you on your toes, unaware of what might happen next, stories about outsiders, genre-mashups, and attention placed on the kind of folks who live on the fringe of society. All of that is present here as well, but there is a general tonal shift to something more overtly light and fun, even when it gets grisly, that feels new, and fresh compared to some of the more somber and quiet aspects of her previous work.
The film is also incredibly gorgeous to look at. Cinematographer, Pawel Pogorzelski, is having a field day making great use of the tapestry, the neon, and the grime of New Orleans, giving it this otherworldly feeling that adds to the occasional dreamlike quality that Amirpour tends to indulge in. Daniele Luppi’s electronic score brings a propulsive rhythm to a number of sequences, and Taylor Levy’s editing is really tight while also lending itself to some interesting moments that allow characters plenty of breathing room. It’s nice to see Amirpour continue to experiment with her visual style three films in, and not feel the need to pin herself down.
There are a few things that I do think hold the film back from being great. For one, while the way the film visually captures New Orleans is mesmerizing, I wish it was able to paint a more thorough portrait of its people and its culture as well, instead of using the city as set dressing. Thematically, the film can come across as a bit sleight, wandering from themes of found family to misanthropic gestures without really committing to anything. And while I think Jeon Jong-seo does a very good job here, I find it odd that the filmmakers lean on a pretty common trope, one where we have a mysterious Asian character who is both infantilized and a bringer of brutal violence, all without saying much of anything. I suppose the one good thing is that the character isn’t sexualized, but I do wish Amirpour could’ve extended her transgressive impulses towards these kind of tropes as well. Though, it unfortunately does check out coming from someone who had a – I’ll be generous and call it – “dismissive” response to some light criticism regarding her the way she frames violence racially with her previous film.
Overall, I had a really good time with Mona Lisa And The Blood Moon. I’m really engaged by the way Ana Lily Amirpour approaches genre, the way she creates these worlds that feel in between a dream and a nightmare, while also wearing the heart of the story on its sleeve. The cast is pretty good across the board, Hudson sells the rough and tumble nature of her character, and Skrein is clearly having the time of his life here, stealing every scene he’s in. It’s a beautifully made film that is just a lot of fun to watch as we go from scene to scene, watching all the characters deal with all the various complications to their situation. It’s engaging, weird, funny, and makes itself out to be quite the ride once it’s all over. While I think there is plenty of room for criticism, I enjoy seeing how Amirpour’s work continues to evolve and branch out, especially after how much her first two films made such an impression with me, and I hope she’s able to reconcile with some of the issues that people have brought up, and grow not just as an artist, but as a person. I’d hate to see all this talent go to waste.
Mona Lisa And The Blood Moon is now out in select theaters and VOD platforms.