2021 / 106m - USA
Fantasy, Thriller
3.5*/5.0*
Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon poster

Watches

January 19, 2023

3.5*/5.0*

Amirpour's latest is another fun genre blender. After a somewhat hesitant start, Amirpour is getting more confident with each new film she directs. Small things keep me from rating her work even higher, but the promise of getting something that isn't quite like other films out there is a powerful selling point.

Mona Lisa is a young Korean girl locked up in a mental hospital. After years of lying dormant, she finally awakes and escapes with her newfound mind powers. She bumps into a prostitute, who helps her out and sees her potential. The cops are on their tail though, and Mona needs to be smart if she wants to keep her freedom.

It's a fun concept, Amirpour commits to the fantastical elements, the performances are solid and the presentation is colorful (both the cinematography and the soundtrack are pretty interesting). The film did get a bit more conventional in the second half, which is what kept me from a higher rating, but that's just some minor nitpicking. Good film.