“Neon” follows young 20-somethings who’re hustling to attempt to make it within the music industry.
While it’s not especially original, the Netflix series does possess a straightforward charm.
Created by journalist Shea Serrano and Max Searle (“Dave”), the show follows three Gen Z friends who leave their hometown of Fort Myers, Florida, and head to the brilliant lights and larger city of Miami to chase success.
The group of pals includes aspiring talent manager Ness (Emma Ferreira), wannabe reggaeton artist Santi (Tyler Dean Flores), who has a viral song and the personality of a golden retriever, and Santi’s creative director, Felix (Jordan Mendoza).
Shows about young people in the identical industry attempting to make it are a dime a dozen, but it surely’s notable that in “Neon,” the three friends aren’t all aspiring singers who’re competing with one another. They’re each chasing different sides of the music business and so they’re all invested in Santi’s success. It’s got a less cutthroat feel than other shows of this ilk.
The three leads are relative unknowns, but “Neon” has some greater actors in supporting roles, including “The Fast and Furious” franchise’s Jordana Brewster as Gina, a socialite with shady business dealings, and Santiago Cabrera (“Heroes”) as a music exec.
There are also several cameos from real artists, including Jhayco, Ken-Y, Jon Z and Jota Rosa (Daddy Yankee and infamous talent manager Scooter Braun are also among the many show’s executive producers).
Naturally, because the three friends plot to launch their path to stardom in Miami, not every thing goes as planned: Their first apartment is crappier than the photos looked online (the ever-optimistic Santi smiles and insists, “That is tremendous!”). Santi’s public relations “relationship” with a pop star Isa (Genesis Rodriguez) goes awry. The group’s initial meeting with a record exec isn’t what it appears to be.
The show falls victim to some cliche moments within the “artist tries to make it big” trope, including the overdone scene where Santi first hears his song on the radio and shouts to his friends, “That is it, that is destiny!”
“Neon” isn’t reinventing the wheel, and it’s not even the one series in the previous couple of months to feature a majority of these moments. Prime Video’s “Daisy Jones & the Six” was the same “artist rises from obscurity to fame” series, with similar trappings, and lots of scenes like this were in HBO’s controversial show “The Idol.”
“Neon” distinguishes itself, though, by specializing in the reggae subgenre, with dialogue and lyrics often peppered with Spanish in addition to English. It’s also not too concerned with following its fundamental characters as they grow jaded or have a “fall” to match their rise.
Santi smiles rather more than he broods.
While “Neon” also sometimes leans too far into absurdity for the sake of comedy, it doesn’t lose sight of the narrative’s underlying core thread: the trio’s friendship.
It doesn’t overstay its welcome, with brisk half-hour episodes, and it delivers laughs and heartfelt moments in equal measure.
“Neon” follows young 20-somethings who’re hustling to attempt to make it within the music industry.
While it’s not especially original, the Netflix series does possess a straightforward charm.
Created by journalist Shea Serrano and Max Searle (“Dave”), the show follows three Gen Z friends who leave their hometown of Fort Myers, Florida, and head to the brilliant lights and larger city of Miami to chase success.
The group of pals includes aspiring talent manager Ness (Emma Ferreira), wannabe reggaeton artist Santi (Tyler Dean Flores), who has a viral song and the personality of a golden retriever, and Santi’s creative director, Felix (Jordan Mendoza).
Shows about young people in the identical industry attempting to make it are a dime a dozen, but it surely’s notable that in “Neon,” the three friends aren’t all aspiring singers who’re competing with one another. They’re each chasing different sides of the music business and so they’re all invested in Santi’s success. It’s got a less cutthroat feel than other shows of this ilk.
The three leads are relative unknowns, but “Neon” has some greater actors in supporting roles, including “The Fast and Furious” franchise’s Jordana Brewster as Gina, a socialite with shady business dealings, and Santiago Cabrera (“Heroes”) as a music exec.
There are also several cameos from real artists, including Jhayco, Ken-Y, Jon Z and Jota Rosa (Daddy Yankee and infamous talent manager Scooter Braun are also among the many show’s executive producers).
Naturally, because the three friends plot to launch their path to stardom in Miami, not every thing goes as planned: Their first apartment is crappier than the photos looked online (the ever-optimistic Santi smiles and insists, “That is tremendous!”). Santi’s public relations “relationship” with a pop star Isa (Genesis Rodriguez) goes awry. The group’s initial meeting with a record exec isn’t what it appears to be.
The show falls victim to some cliche moments within the “artist tries to make it big” trope, including the overdone scene where Santi first hears his song on the radio and shouts to his friends, “That is it, that is destiny!”
“Neon” isn’t reinventing the wheel, and it’s not even the one series in the previous couple of months to feature a majority of these moments. Prime Video’s “Daisy Jones & the Six” was the same “artist rises from obscurity to fame” series, with similar trappings, and lots of scenes like this were in HBO’s controversial show “The Idol.”
“Neon” distinguishes itself, though, by specializing in the reggae subgenre, with dialogue and lyrics often peppered with Spanish in addition to English. It’s also not too concerned with following its fundamental characters as they grow jaded or have a “fall” to match their rise.
Santi smiles rather more than he broods.
While “Neon” also sometimes leans too far into absurdity for the sake of comedy, it doesn’t lose sight of the narrative’s underlying core thread: the trio’s friendship.
It doesn’t overstay its welcome, with brisk half-hour episodes, and it delivers laughs and heartfelt moments in equal measure.
