Written and directed by Ana Lily Amirpour
Starring Kate Hudson, Jun Jong Seo, Ed Skrein, Evan Whitten and Craig Robinson
MPAA Rated R for language throughout, sexual material and some violence.
Runtime: 107 minutes 
In Theaters, On Digital and On Demand September 30

by Victoria Potenza, Staff Writer

Ana Lily Amirpour blew horror fans away with her genre bending tale A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. While I fell in love with this film when I first saw it a few years back, I did not actively seek out Amirpour’s other work. But I was intrigued and excited to hear about her new film Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon. I did not know what to expect going into the film but was overjoyed when I felt a similar excitement and love with this movie, that I did with A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. With scrappy loveable characters, gorgeous cinematography, and an unbeatable soundtrack, fans will find much to love with her new release. 

Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon follows Mona Lisa (Jeon Jong-seo), a girl with the supernatural ability to make people do whatever she wants them to. After being held in isolation in a mental asylum she makes her escape and attempts to avoid being recaptured. While on the run she meets a variety of characters including an exotic dancer and her son, a party boy who falls for her, and a cop who will stop at nothing to capture her. Mona Lisa profoundly affects those she comes in contact with and in return they open Mona Lisa open to the world of New Orleans. 

It is clear Amirpour is drawn to desolate areas filled with seedy yet loveable characters. The people in these films are those who live on the fringes of society. While every person has their issues and problems, there is ultimately something to love in each of them. This film also often takes place at night in which we see those living on the outskirts of New Orleans’ Bourbon Street. While they might work in the popular tourist destination it is clear that many of them do not live there or choose to spend time there, often hanging outside of bodegas and fast food restaraunts.  On the surface they take on archetypes of people we might meet out late at night including Fuzz (Ed Skrein) who seems like a typical creep, or Bonnie (Kate Hudson) who seems like an uncaring mother and scam artist. As the film reveals itself we see these characters less like the stereotypes they come off to be and see how they are much more complex and often loveable. 

Mona Lisa harbors incredible power, similar to “The Girl '' in AGWHAAN. They are both able to protect themselves from anyone they come into contact with including a variety of scary men. They get to live out a fantasy many women are unable to, they can simply be and enjoy the night without fear of the men around them. They are also innocent characters in many ways. Their powers isolate them from the rest of the world making them lonely figures who are not able to understand many of the nuances of human relations. We see Mona Lisa struggle to interact with those she meets, we see her unable to understand money, which she needs to purchase food. While she is able to protect herself and those she cares for, she also relies on them to help her navigate the world. Jeon Jong-seo brings depth and layers to this character by towing the line of innocent, strong, and dangerous. 

Unlike AGWHAAN, this is shot in color, but both have a clear love of the areas they are portraying which we can see through the clean and beautiful cinematography. The colors of this film are lush and saturated adding to the feeling that this is a whimsical fairytale similar to films like Lynch’s Wild at Heart. The scenes at the strip club are gorgeously shot and bring a true seductiveness to a place often looked at as dirty. The group hanging outside of the bodega loko quirky and intriguing as opposed to scary and dangerous. Bringing beauty to the places and people that are often overlooked by society at large is a rare gift and Amirpour has a keen eye for it. 

Finally bringing it all together is the incredible soundtrack, something that Amirpour has a great ear for. The AGWHAAN soundtrack is often one of my most listened to on Spotify and I had to immediately look up the music from this once the credits rolled. The sounds vary song to song making for a rather eclectic and fun sound, which is very much in line with the visuals of the film. 

It is so impressive to see an artist like Amirpour that can weave sound, visuals, and characters so perfectly. While the story overall feels like a meandering hang out film, like one you might get from Jim Jarmusch, the care and love of its characters and setting make it feel like it has much more heart and depth than a standard hang out film. Her focus on sex workers, juveniles, party boys, and other groups often shunned by society at large also add the the importance of their portrayal and the care shown in crafting them. I was pleased to see so much of what I loved in Amirpour’s acclaimed 2014 film emulated in this. Making it clear that she is truly one of our great filmmakers. 

I hope others who see this are able to feel the love and care that was put into crafting this lovely film.