Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon is a 2021 American fantasy thriller film written and directed by Ana Lily Amirpour. It stars Kate Hudson, Jun Jong-seo, Ed Skrein, Evan Whitten, and Craig Robinson.
| Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ana Lily Amirpour |
| Written by | Ana Lily Amirpour |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Pawel Pogorzelski |
| Edited by | Taylor Levy |
| Music by | Daniele Luppi |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Saban Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 106 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The film had its world premiere at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 5, 2021. It was released in the United States on September 30, 2022, by Saban Films.
Plot
editMona Lisa Lee is a patient in a mental institution near New Orleans. After silently enduring abusive treatment, she uses a telepathic power to escape, injuring several workers who stand in her way. Wandering the streets aimlessly at night, she encounters various strangers, some of them hostile or menacing. Her strange behavior brings her to the attention of a policeman, Officer Harold, who tries to arrest her. She uses her power to cause him to shoot himself in the knee.
Next, she saves a woman named Bonnie Belle who is losing a fistfight in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant. Bonnie Belle, a stripper who is a single mother, befriends Mona Lisa and takes her home. Mona bonds with Bonnie's young son, Charlie.
Bonnie exploits Mona Lisa's power to rob a man at an ATM, and to extort unintended tips from the patrons of the nightclub where she dances. Mona Lisa's actions bring her to the attention of Officer Harold, as he continues to investigate. When he confronts the two women, Bonnie's actions cause Mona Lisa to see through her and she ends the friendship. Alone, Bonnie is attacked and badly beaten by a group of men she had defrauded earlier.
Mona Lisa decides to leave town and offers to take Charlie with her. Charlie accepts. When they are nearly apprehended by Officer Harold at the airport, Charlie creates a distraction so that Mona Lisa can escape.
Cast
edit- Kate Hudson as Bonnie "Bonnie Belle" Hunt
- Jun Jong-seo as Mona Lisa Lee
- Craig Robinson as Officer Harold
- Ed Skrein as Fuzz
- Evan Whitten as Charlie Hunt
Production
editIn October 2018, it was announced Kate Hudson, Craig Robinson, Altonio Jackson, and Zac Efron had joined the cast of the film, with Ana Lily Amirpour directing from a screenplay she wrote. John Lesher will serve as a producer under his Le Grisbi Productions banner.[2] Black Bicycle Entertainment is producing in association with wiip, Luke Rodgers will executive produce. In April 2019, Jun Jong-seo joined the cast of the film.[3] In July 2019, it was announced Ed Skrein and Evan Whitten had joined the cast of the film, with Skrein replacing Efron.[4]
Principal photography began in July 2019.[5] Alongside original music by Daniele Luppi, the soundtrack includes several songs by Bottin.[6] It was filmed on location in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Release
editMona Lisa and the Blood Moon had its world premiere at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 5, 2021.[7] In March 2022, Saban Films acquired distribution rights to the film.[8] It was released in the United States on September 30, 2022.[9]
Reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 75% based on reviews from 65 critics, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon finds writer-director Ana Lily Amirpour spinning a stylishly lurid – if somewhat narratively undercooked – fantasy yarn."[10] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 69 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[11]
Screen Rant has rated it 3.5 stars.[12]
References
edit- ^ "Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon". Venice Film Festival. 16 July 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (October 28, 2018). "Kate Hudson, Craig Robinson & Zac Efron Line Up For Ana Lily Amirpour's 'Blood Moon' — AFM". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
- ^ Sneider, Jeff (April 18, 2019). "Exclusive: 'Burning' Star Jeon Jong-seo Eyed to Join Kate Hudson in Ana Lily Amirpour's 'Blood Moon'". Collider. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (July 1, 2019). "'Mona Lisa And The Blood Moon': 'Burning' Breakout Jun Jong-Seo Stars With Kate Hudson, Craig Robinson & Ed Skrein In Ana Lily Amirpour Pic Now Under Way". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- ^ Lily Amirpour, Ana [@lilyinapad] (July 1, 2019). "DAY 1. #MonaLisaAndTheBloodMoon 🥁". Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2019 – via Instagram.
- ^ Diamante, Giulia (September 5, 2021). "'Mona Lisa And The Blood Moon'". Close-up. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
- ^ Vivarelli, Nick (July 26, 2021). "Venice Film Festival Full Lineup Unveiled – Live Updates". Variety. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ Loderhose, Diana (March 15, 2022). "Saban Films Takes North American Rights To Kate Hudson Starrer 'Mona Lisa And The Blood Moon'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
- ^ Collis, Clark (August 23, 2022). "Kate Hudson embraces freakiness in trailer for supernatural thriller Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
- ^ "Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ "Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
- ^ Samara, Nadir (2022-09-30). "Mona Lisa & The Blood Moon Review: Amirpour's Techno Sci-Fi Thriller Hypnotizes". Screen Rant. Retrieved 2022-10-03.