Vide Noir

While created by the band Lord Huron and director Ariel Vida in conjunction with the album of the same name, this film has appeal beyond their existing fanbase due to gorgeously-dreamlike neon-soaked visuals, an atmospheric soundtrack, masterful cinematography and compelling story full of mystery and suspense. They even manage to include some humor, with charismatic characters and witty dialogue.

Journeying along desert highways, into neon-lit streets and smoky nightclubs, Buck's search for his missing fiancée Lee leads him to a mysterious criminal underworld distributing a mind-bending drug. Told partly through flashbacks and surreal transitions that blur the edges of reality, it explores existential themes alongside questions pertaining to relationships, memory and perception, and how far someone will go for the one they love.

Even if you're unfamiliar with the band, Vide Noir is well worth it for fans of these themes, neo-noir and thrillers, hallucinatory visuals and immersive sound, and independent filmmaking in general. If you enjoy the film, it may lead you to even greater mysteries as you delve into the finely-crafted universe Lord Huron has created through their music.

This movie follows the plot most of us had made in our heads about the Vide Noir album. The aesthetic is immaculate and exactly of how I thought the world of Vide Noir would look while listened to the album. The movie has many references to Lord Huron Universe characters, places, and songs. If you are familiar with these characters and concepts you will have fun recognizing all of it. My only real complaint with this movie is that I wish it had more music form the album it comes form and I did like hearing small bits of songs that were form other albums I wish it had more vide noir music bigger parts of the songs. Was acting great no. Was the story solid also no. But I think that if you like Lord Huron you should really watch this.

A neon-noir that jumps around LA in the 1960s, following a guy trying to find his gal; this movie ticks all my personal boxes for what I want to see in a noir film. Visually, a real treat for the eyes, heavily leaning on rich, vibrant neon to paint the characters and their surroundings. The "Vide Noir" scenes are a real treat as well, with some very interesting techniques and visuals I found myself fascinated by. Fantastic set design, great cinematography, and engaging characters. Based on the Lord Huron album Vide Noir(which is fantastic, would recommend giving that and "Lost Lost", their latest album, a listen before watching), the albums really set the scene for the audience and pull you in; the constant references to the band's work pop out and pull at you as you're watching. Any fan of their music will find this film familiar, as their music weaves the scenes together.

For those that aren't familiar with the band's work, but love the neo-noir/film noir generes: Give it a watch, it won't disappoint. I'm excited to see what comes next from the director. Try to see it on the biggest screen you're able to, in the darkest room possible; but be careful, you don't wanna get black-brained...