Set in the rural north east of Brazil at a traditional rodeo, Neon Bull has the potential to be an engaging film – particularly with the addition of the lead Iremar’s subversive interest in costuming. It wastes all of this potential, however.

An aimless film, there’s an awful lot of watching the characters wandering around their dilapidated home and going about their daily business working with the rodeo’s horses and livestock. There’s nothing propelling the film to any real denouement, other than attempting to wank off a horse, and the emphasis seems set on a prolonged sex scene – and cow pats.

If you really like horses and cows, or watching “naturalistic” acting with bland dialogue (and badly-written subtitles), then you may glean something from Neon Bull. 

RATING: 1/5

INFORMATION

DIRECTOR: Gabriel Mascaro

WRITER: Gabriel Mascaro

CAST: Juliano Cazarré, Maeve Jinkings, Alyne Santana, Carlos Pessoa

SYNOPSIS: Rodeo worker by day Iremar (Cazarré) harbours ambitions to be a designer, knocking up dancing costumes in his spare time. The film centres on his daily life and those of the other worker who share his home.