Rebels of the Neon God 2015

As the curtain rises on this cinematic tale, we find ourselves immersed in the daily routine of Hsiao Kang (Chinese: 小康; lit. ‘Little Kang’), a young man living with his parents and attending a cram school. In a parallel narrative thread, Tze and Ping navigate the underworld of petty thievery. One fateful night, Tze stumbles back to his flooded apartment, only to be interrupted by Kuei, a mysterious woman who had just shared a fleeting moment with Ah Tze’s brother, a car salesman. As she searches for her bearings, Tze offers her a ride on his motorcycle, unaware that Hsiao Kang’s own motorized companion has been impounded by the authorities.

Meanwhile, Hsiao Kang’s father, a taxi driver, spots him and decides to offer him a lift to school, but their tranquil journey is disrupted when Tze intentionally shatters the side mirror of the taxi. This seemingly minor incident sets the tone for a series of events that will intertwine the lives of these three individuals.

As the night wears on, Tze, Ping, and Kuei find themselves entwined in a web of camaraderie and revelry, sharing drinks and stories as they navigate the city’s underbelly. Kuei eventually passes out, leaving the two men to abandon her in a hotel room. The next morning, she reaches out to Tze, requesting another meeting.

As Hsiao Kang drops out of school and pockets his refund, he elects not to return home, instead choosing to explore the city’s nightlife. It is here that he crosses paths with Tze once more, this time witnessing the latter engage in a brazen act of theft alongside Ping. The duo targets an arcade, making off with motherboards from the machines.

Tze and Kuei eventually reunite, their meeting marked by a fiery passion as they share a hotel room and indulge in each other’s company. Meanwhile, Hsiao Kang discovers Tze’s motorcycle and exacts his revenge by vandalizing it. However, when he attempts to return home after his extended absence, he is met with resistance from his parents, who have discovered that he has dropped out of school.

In a twist of fate, Hsiao Kang finds himself drawn to the same hotel where Tze and Kuei spent their night together, taking pleasure in witnessing Tze’s dismay as he surveys the damage to his motorcycle. The threads of these characters’ lives continue to converge as Tze and Ping attempt to sell their ill-gotten gains to an arcade owner, only to be confronted by the very individuals they had swindled.

The ensuing chaos sees Ping brutally beaten, leaving him battered and bruised. As Tze tenders his aid, he is surprised by the arrival of Kuei, who reveals her desire to flee with him. The two embrace, as Hsiao Kang’s father drives away from the apartment complex, inadvertently leaving the door ajar.

In a poignant coda, Hsiao Kang visits a phone dating service but remains unresponsive to the calls he receives. His visit is short-lived, as he eventually departs, leaving the audience to ponder the trajectory of these three characters’ lives.