Neon Lights Ending Explained, Know more About Neon Lights Ending, Plot, Summary
by Aishwarya R | Updated Mar 03, 2023
Neon Lights Wikipedia
Neon Lights is a 2022 indie psychological thriller directed by Rouzbeh Heydari, which delves into complex family dynamics and childhood traumas. The film creates suspense by maintaining an air of mystery and ambiguity, successfully captivating the audience's attention and curiosity. The story revolves around an off-site family gathering that begins as a tense reunion between three adopted brothers and soon descends into murder and insanity. The narrative of the movie is as unreliable and erratic as its protagonist, flickering between different ideas and plotlines while attempting to maintain some sense of normalcy and control. Despite its efforts, the movie's conclusion still leaves numerous questions unanswered. Here are some of the answers to those lingering questions.
Neon Lights Plot
The movie 'Neon Lights' centers around Clay Amani, a Tech Tycoon who struggles to maintain control during an interview when questioned about the future of his company, which seems to be going downhill. As a result, he seeks therapy to deal with his past and issues. Clay's therapist, Laila, encourages him to let go and move on, a sentiment that is echoed by other characters.
Clay invites his family, including his brothers James and Benny, Benny's wife Clarissa, and their daughter Blair, to a mansion for a family reunion. However, tension between Clay and his brothers is palpable, with Benny expressing his anger towards Clay for abandoning them. Throughout the reunion, Clay is haunted by a shadowy figure, Denver Kane.
Clay battles with his inner demons and often blames himself for everything that goes wrong. He portrays a facade of stability around others, but when he is alone or with Denver Kane, he begins to unravel. The movie shifts between Clay's breakdowns during therapy, his potential future at a mental institution, and the assumed present timeline of him with his family.
As the family reunion progresses, tragedy befalls Clay's family members, with each one being gruesomely murdered, raising suspicion and mystery around Clay's motives. Eventually, Denver Kane is revealed as the perpetrator behind the murders, and Clay frantically jumps between the three plotlines to save Clarissa and Blair.
Neon Lights Movie Summary
Denver Kane is first introduced in the film as a mysterious character who seems to exert control over Clay, influencing his thoughts and decisions. He repeatedly manipulates Clay into believing that he is an indispensable presence in his life and that he will always need his help. From the outset, Denver comes across as a menacing figure, almost as the embodiment of Clay's worst anxieties and insecurities. Despite the persistent mystery surrounding his identity, Denver is eventually revealed to be Clay, James, and Benny's abusive adoptive father. However, the character of Denver Kane is not an actual person.
In an interview, Dana Abraham, the writer and lead actor of the film, suggests that the characters of Laila and Denver represent the "angel and the devil" on Clay's shoulder. This plot device is commonly used to showcase the good and bad in any situation to a character, and serves as a dichotomy of good and evil within the same character's subconscious. Laila, the angel in this case, guides Clay towards working through his trauma and finding peace and stability.
Meanwhile, Denver, the devil, is almost a manifestation of Clay's trauma, leading him down a path of tragedy and mania. The plot uses Denver as a reflection of the dark and demented part of Clay. This other identity of Clay is shaped by his childhood traumas, wherein he was portrayed as "the favorite" of his father, but still suffered abuse and damage from his actions. Even as Clay escapes this abuse by leaving his family, he develops a "voice in his head" that constantly echoes with self-doubt and homicidal thoughts. The Denver Kane we see in the movie embodies that same voice inside Clay's head.
Neon Lights Ending Explained
The family reunion takes a dark turn when the first murder happens, with James becoming the first victim of a series of killings that occur on the estate. The tension and fear within the family grow as they become increasingly aware of the danger surrounding them. Benny is the next to be killed, followed by Clarissa, and the killer's identity is finally revealed: Denver Kane. However, it is soon revealed that Denver Kane is actually an imaginary character created by Clay's traumatized mind, and that Clay himself is responsible for the murders.
As Clay's insanity reaches new heights, he chases down Blair, representing the part of himself that he is trying to destroy. But despite his best efforts to stop himself, Clay succumbs to his madness, and Blair is killed. Finally, Clay turns to his father's ghost and his trauma, ultimately killing him as well. This brings the thrilling slasher plotline to an end, but the film's true resolution lies in Clay's therapy session.
Through therapy, Clay has worked through his past and trauma, achieving a breakthrough. It becomes clear that the events that took place were all in Clay's head, an allegory for the trauma he suffered at the hands of his family. In his mind, he reunited and killed his family, destroying the trauma they had inflicted upon him, both knowingly and unknowingly.
However, a shot of a newspaper article shown in the movie's climax reveals the truth. The article depicts Clay's father, along with his brothers and Clarissa, with a headline that reads, "Media Mogul Murders Family." It is revealed that Clay's father was the one who killed his family, and Clay blames himself for not being able to save them. The film's resolution brings a sense of closure to Clay's trauma and leaves the audience with a deeper understanding of the complexities of trauma and mental illness.
Neon Lights Ending Explained - FAQs
Neon lights are made of glass tubes that are filled with a gas, usually neon, that glows brightly when an electric current is passed through it. The tubes are bent into various shapes and designs and the gas inside them is sealed to create a vacuum.
Neon lights have a long lifespan, typically lasting between 8 to 15 years before needing to be replaced. However, their lifespan can be affected by various factors such as the quality of the gas inside the tube, the level of electrical current passed through the tube, and exposure to the elements.
Neon lights are not very energy efficient, as they require a high voltage to operate and can consume a significant amount of electricity. However, advancements in LED technology have led to the development of neon-like LED lights that are more energy-efficient and have a longer lifespan.
Cleaning neon lights requires a delicate touch and the use of non-abrasive cleaning products. To clean neon lights, gently wipe the surface of the tubes with a soft, lint-free cloth that has been dampened with a mild cleaning solution, such as a mixture of water and vinegar.
Yes, neon lights can be repaired if they break or malfunction. However, repairing a neon light requires specialized knowledge and equipment, and should be done by a professional neon sign repair technician. Common repairs include replacing broken tubes or transformers, and re-gassing the tubes if necessary.