Rebels of the Neon God

synopsis

Set amidst the urban jungle of Taipei, Rebels of the Neon God is a stylish tale of teen angst and despair. Centering on four disaffected, disillusioned youth, the story shuttles between the deadpan, petty con games of two Taipei hoods, a young woman who works at a roller rink, and the sullen, lost Hsiao-Kang - a cab driver's son who's being rigorously pressured to study by his parents. Tsai Ming-liang "captures the strange radiance of cheap hotels, video parlours and neon-lit streets" of Taipei (David Overbey, Toronto International Film Festival). Rebels of the Neon God is a keenly observed look at despondent youth whose lives are confined by a relentless, alienating city.