Neon review: Upbeat comedy keeps everything light and wholesome

In Neon, three best friends head to Miami, hoping to take the reggaeton world by storm. The series is now streaming on Netflix.

Story

Santi, an up-and-coming reggaeton artist, is on his way to Miami with his best friends Felix, his creative director, and Ness, his manager. They plan to make their name in the music industry, as Santi’s song, Exagerao, is already making waves on the internet.

However, it is only when they finally reach and start living in Miami that they realize how tough the music industry is. Furthermore, they will have to find a way to bring food to their tables until they actually sign a contract with a record label.

Santi, Ness, and Felix are determined not to give up. Together, they make contacts, find investors, do small gigs, and face setbacks while also making some small wins as they keep working towards their dreams one step at a time.

Performances

Tyler Dean Flores, Emma Ferreira, and Jordan Mendoza all carry the instincts of naive youngsters who are just getting into an industry. The way they interact, being nobodies, with the characters that are veterans will be relatable to everyone.

Tyler Dean Flores, as Santi, defines the mood swings of a passionate artist who can easily get demotivated and how fame can destroy them. Jordan Mendoza, as Felix, shines as a trusted support system, while Emma Ferreira is able to show how a nervous Ness can still keep their group together.

Overall, the chemistry these three lead actors share helps the friendship in the show work and makes viewers root for them.

Positives

Neon stays quite lighthearted and makes Miami a place a viewer wants to be at, no matter the struggles one will have to go through to make a living there.

The show hardly enters serious territory, as it is always cheerful, motivating, and occasionally hilarious, as a good number of jokes do land.

The characters in Neon have the rebelliousness that many popular musicians have. However, here, the viewers will see the characters finding safer ways to push the envelope.

The series depicts the various mood swings of an artist well. One moment viewers see Santi enjoying the success of his song, and next they see him all depressed because of a little criticism.

While the show is wholesome for the majority of its run, when drama makes its way, even if it is predictable, it sounds reasonable and not forced at all.

Lastly, as a show about music, Neon delivers, as its soundtrack is upbeat, groovy, and catchy. The performances in the show are charming, and the songs make one move their head along with them.

Negatives

Neon has very few moments where it tries to have some heartbreaking and emotional acts, but it refrains from touching them in depth. It all feels half-hearted. If these emotional acts had been explored more, viewers might have related to the characters more.

One can observe that Neon tries to have subplots in all of its episodes. However, these subplots fail to shine individually and even feel unnecessary.

At first, considering how the story is developing, one might think that Neon won’t explore the cliches that music dramas usually have, but eventually, by the end, it implements such twists.

Verdict

Neon, one way or another, promises what many other music dramas about the industry do, but in a more upbeat and cheerful manner, keeping it motivating and wholesome all the time.

With its charming performances, solid music, and a group of friends one can easily root for, the show delivers what it intended to.

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Also Read: Neon summary and ending explained