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[DVD Review] ‘The Neon Dead’ – Cool Visuals, Uneven Plot
The Neon Dead is like less like watching a movie and more like watching a video game. It encompasses the best and worst of video games. So while at times the movie is a ton of fun the results are mixed with the final product being merely ok.
Allison Hillstead (Marie Baker), a recent college graduate, just inherited a new home but things aren’t as nice as they seem. While the house is quite large and very nice, there appears to be some paranormal activity. Unsure of what to do she gets a lucky break when a girl scout stops by and gives her the business card of a couple of paranormal investigators named Desmond (Greg Garrison) and Jake (D. Dylan Schettina). Desmond and Jake turn out to be a couple of slackers that work at the local grocery store, but they like to fancy themselves as paranormal investigators and eagerly accepting the job.
When Desmond and Jake showing up at Allison’s house they immediately come in contact with some type of creature thing. A big portion of The Neon Dead is debating what the creatures are. Jake and Allison call them zombies but Desmond thinks they’re something else. Later in the movie though there are zombies, so that aspect all very confusing but it’s like 50% of the dialogue. Whatever the case may be, Jake and Desmond do battle with the thing and are able to defeat it with salt. Things should be good now, right? Nope, we’re just getting started. There’s a whole army of these creatures and they all have neon eyes and are controlled by some smiling king.
The Neon Dead is very rough around the edges. The dialogue is spotty at best with a bunch of humor that feels forced and often lands flat. The story also gets very muddled by trying to create something more complex than it needs to be. As the film moves along with learn that the things terrorizing Allison’s house are actually controlled by one of her great relatives who is controlled by an ancient demon. There’s all these flashbacks that attempt to explain things but just get in the way. It’s all unnecessary fat that doesn’t need to be there. Cut that garbage out, keeps the house, the demons attacking and let’s have a war of man vs monster. That’s all we need!
While the story trips all over itself the visual effects and final battle serve as the saving grace. The Neon Dead is written and directed by Torey Haas, a VFX artist known for his work on films like V/H/S Viral, and for what Haas lacks in writing a coherent story he makes up for with his VFX knowledge. The film is called The Neon Dead. The monsters, or whatever you want to call them, have these wonderful pops of neon colors – blues, reds, greens, pinks – and it really does look fantastic. When these creatures are on screen the film is very appealing to look at. In addition to the great colors I think the practical effects and creature design are solidly done. Some of it is a little cheesy, especially when they defeat creatures and pick up their bones, but it all has a fun feel of a B-movie.
In the end The Neon Dead manages to offering up a number of enjoyable moments but is never able to fully find it’s footing. As a filmmaker this is certainly something Haas can build off going forward. He’s got the visuals down, just needs to get rid of the story elements that are boring and get in a way, and just have fun.
So I suppose that leaves us with the question of whether or not I would recommend The Neon Dead? I would, but just keep your expectations in check and don’t expect too much.
The Neon Dead is now available on DVD and Digital HD from Wild Eye Releasing.
It was almost one year ago that Warner Bros. brought the entire original A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise to 4K in one massive 7-movie collection, with the limited edition SteelBook version of the set quickly selling out and becoming highly sought after. But we’re happy to report tonight that the SteelBook set is currently back in stock over on Amazon!
While supplies last, grab the Elm Street SteelBook collection for $154.99 right now!!
Orders placed for this re-release are scheduled to begin shipping out September 15, 2026.
[Related] Freddy’s Back: New ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ Movie in the Works at Paramount
From New Line Cinema, the collection includes the original seven films – A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988), A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989), Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991), and Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994) – along with the uncut versions of A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Dream Child.
Two BRAND NEW SPECIAL FEATURES for this set include:
- Boiler Room Confessional: The king of slashers, Robert Englund, takes us on a journey through the dream world, sharing what inspired Freddy Krueger, his rise as a cultural icon, and the legacy of A Nightmare on Elm Street, plus his favorite kills, scenes, and more.
- Freddy’s Footnotes: Robert Englund and original A Nightmare on Elm Street filmmakers revisit iconic scenes, revealing the movie magic and chaos behind our favorite nightmares. Pull back the curtain and relive epic moments through the eyes of those who made them.
Here’s the full breakdown of included Special Features for each movie…
A Nightmare on Elm Street
· Ready Freddy Focus Points
· Commentary with Wes Craven, Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, Ronee Blakley, Robert Shaye, and Sara Risher
· Commentary with Wes Craven, Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, and Jacques Haitkin
· Alternate Endings – Scary Ending, Happy Ending, Freddy Ending
· The House that Freddy Built: The Legacy of New Line Horror
· Never Sleep Again: The Making of A Nightmare on Elm Street
· Night Terrors: The Origins of Wes Craven’s Nightmares
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge
· Freddy on 8th Street
· Heroes and Villains
· The Male Witch
· Psychosexual Circus
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
· Behind the Story: Burnout
· Behind the Story: Fan Mail
· Behind the Story: The House that Freddy Built
· Behind the Story: Onward Christian Soldiers
· Behind the Story: Snakes and Ladders
· Behind the Story: That’s Showbiz
· Behind the Story: Trading 8’s
· Dokken Dream Warriors Music Video
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
· The Finnish Line
· Krueger, Freddy Krueger
· Hopeless Chest
· Let’s Makeup
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child
· Behind the Story: Womb Raiders
· Behind the Story: The Sticky Floor
· Behind the Story: Take the Stairs
· Behind the Story: Hopkins Directs
· Behind the Story: A Slight Miscalculation
Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare
· 86’D
· Hellraiser
· Rachel’s Dream
· 3D Demise
Wes Craven’s New Nightmare
· Commentary with Wes Craven
· NEW – Boiler Room Confessional
· NEW – Freddy’s Footnotes
· Becoming a Filmmaker
· Filmmaker
· An Insane Troupe
· The Problem with Sequels
· Two Worlds
· Welcome to Prime Time: It Really Happened
· Welcome to Prime Time: A Childhood Memory
· Welcome to Prime Time: Sometime in the Early 80s
· Welcome to Prime Time: So It Began
· Welcome to Prime Time: Beauty and the Beast
· Welcome to Prime Time: Making the Glove
· Welcome to Prime Time: Shapeshifter
· Welcome to Prime Time: The Shoot
· Welcome to Prime Time: The Revolving Room
· Welcome to Prime Time: All’s Well that Ends Well
· Welcome to Prime Time: Talalay’s Tally
· Welcome to Prime Time: It Couldn’t Have Happened
· Welcome to Prime Time: Alternate Ending Version
· Conclusion: Where Gothic Plots Come From
· Conclusion: Why We Like Gothic
· Conclusion: Sadomasochism
· Conclusion: Freddy vs. Pinhead
· Conclusion: Freddy’s Manic Energy
· Conclusion: Creating Lasting Characters in Horror
· Conclusion: No More Magic Tricks
· Conclusion: Monster with Personality
· Conclusion: Freddy as Sex Machine
· Conclusion: Campfire Stories
The Elm Street collection is available in this collectible SteelBook packaging (exclusive to Amazon) and as a standard 4K collection that’s also available now over on Amazon.
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