Neptune Frost

{{Infobox film

| name = Neptune Frost

| image = NeptuneFrost.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = {{Plainlist|

}}

| writer = Saul Williams

| producer = {{Plainlist|

Ezra Miller
Stephen Hendel
Saul Williams

}}

| starring = {{Plainlist|

Elvis Ngabo
Cheryl Isheja
Kaya Free

}}

| cinematography = Anisia Uzeyman

| editing = Anisha Acharya

| music = Saul Williams

| studio = {{Plainlist|

Swan Films
Sopherim
Knitting Factory Entertainment
SPKN/WRD
Quiet
Carte Blanche
Redwire Pictures

}}

| distributor = Kino Lorber

| runtime = 110 minutes

| released = {{film date|2021|07|08|Cannes|2022|6|3|United States}}

| country = {{Plainlist|

Rwanda
United States

}}

| language = {{Plainlist|

Kinyarwanda
Kirundi
Swahili
French
English

}}

| budget =

| gross = $203,393{{cite The Numbers|id=Neptune-Frost-(2022) |title=Neptune Frost (2022) |access-date=November 25, 2022}}{{cite Box Office Mojo |id=11873472 |title=Neptune Frost (2021) |access-date=November 25, 2022}}

}}

Neptune Frost is a 2021 science fiction romantic musical co-directed by Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman and starring Cheryl Isheja, Elvis Ngabo and Kaya Free. Set in a post-civil war Rwanda spanning past, future, and present times, the film follows the relationship between an intersex hacker and a coltan miner. Ezra Miller is a producer and Lin-Manuel Miranda an executive producer. It had its world premiere at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival in the Directors Fortnight section on July 8, 2021, and was released in the United States on June 3, 2022, by Kino Lorber to critical acclaim.

Plot

The film is an Afrofuturist story set in a village in Burundi made of computer parts, and centers on the relationship between Neptune, an intersex runaway, and Matalusa, a coltan miner, whose love leads a hacker collective.Tambay Obenson, [https://www.indiewire.com/2021/07/neptune-frost-saul-williams-cannes-1234650362/ "‘Neptune Frost’: Saul Williams Confronts Status Quo with East African Cyber Musical"]. IndieWire, July 17, 2021.

The film begins with images of mining and sounds of communal song. In the mines are Matalusa and his brother Tekno, who dies from the power of coltan he mines. The death of Tekno prompts Matalusa's hero's journey. Neptune's story also begins with death, as they attend a funeral for their grandmother in which they also sing together to express their grief. The subconscious connection between Matalusa and Neptune, manifesting as visions sent by their future child, draw them together, each embarking on their on-the-road journeys across the country to find the "Unanimous Goldmine" community. "Unanimous Goldmine" is a code of unity that identifies characters' kinship to the group of young adults that encompass it in another realm layered upon reality. The two become the leaders of this community, bonded by powerful rhetoric through speech and song as well as a mission to subvert the big tech powers that control the internet.

Neptune's technokinetic abilities allow them to spread their ideas, creed and philosophy across the world through a series of hacks. Unable to trace its origin, Neptune's virus is blamed on Russia and China by world powers until Memory's brother, Innocent, posing in the disguise of the autocratic state's police officers, stumbles upon the hidden Unanimous Goldmine and briefly reunites with his sister. Memory compassionately scolds him for an earlier encounter with Neptune where discovering their gender caused him to react violently. She asks him to leave them in peace and discourages him from speaking with Neptune. But it is too late, as he has been followed by a drone which subsequently ousts them to the world. The community is quickly destroyed by an explosion, though Neptune survives, having been away at the time of execution. The lone survivor of the attack, they project and reveal their existence to world before the film ends.

Cast

Cheryl Isheja as Neptune
Elvis Ngabo as Neptune
Bertrand "Kaya Free" Ninteretse as Matalusa
Eliane Umuhire as Memory
Dorcy Rugamba as Innocent
Rebecca Uwamahoro as Elohel
Trésor Niyongabo as Psychology
Eric Ngangare "1Key" as Potolo
Natacha Muziramakenga as Binya
Cécile Kayirebwa as Nun
Diogene "Atome" Ntarindwa as Priest

Production

The project was originally conceived by Saul Williams as a graphic novel in 2013, and later a stage musical.Wendy Ide, [https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/neptune-frost-cannes-review/5161583.article "‘Neptune Frost’: Cannes Review"]. Screen Daily, July 14, 2021. Williams' 2016 album MartyrLoserKing explored further ideas that were incorporated into the film.{{cite interview |first1= Anisia |last1=Uzeyman |first2= Saul| last2= Williams| title=Female Filmmakers in Focus: Anisia Uzeyman and Saul Williams on Neptune Frost| interviewer-first=Marya E.| interviewer-last= Gates | website=Roger Ebert | date=31 May 2022 | url=https://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/female-filmmakers-in-focus-anisia-uzeyman-and-saul-williams-on-neptune-frost | access-date=25 February 2025}}

In 2018, Williams launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds, with Lin-Manuel Miranda joining as an executive producer.{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/saul-williams-shares-new-song-announces-film-kickstarter-campaign/|title=Saul Williams Shares New Song, Announces Film Kickstarter Campaign: Listen|website=Pitchfork|first=Amanda|last=Wicks|date=July 13, 2018|access-date=May 4, 2022}}

In February 2020, it was announced that Ezra Miller and Stephen Hendel were set to produce, with principal photography commencing.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/02/ezra-miller-saul-williams-martyrloserkin-productions-neptune-frost-1202849950/|title=Ezra Miller And Saul Williams Launch MartyrLoserKin Productions, Sets Sci-Fi Musical 'Neptune Frost' As First Project|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Dino|last=Day-Ramos|date=February 3, 2020|access-date=May 4, 2022}} Production took place over the course of 27 days in Rwanda.Christopher Vourlias, [https://variety.com/2021/film/global/saul-williams-neptune-frost-1235010586/ "Saul Williams on Mad Dash to Bring His African Sci-Fi Musical ‘Neptune Frost’ to Cannes"]. Variety, July 16, 2021.

Neptune Frost is the debut feature film by directors Saul Williams and Rwandan-born artist and cinematographer Anisia Uzeyman, described as "a bombastic Afrofuturist sci-fi punk musical" on Rogerebert.com.

"Neptune Frost" is the name of a black Revolutionary soldier who served in the Continental Army in 1775.{{Cite web |url=https://lesley.edu/news/historian-seeks-to-honor-forgotten-black-soldiers|title=Historian seeks to honor forgotten black soldiers|last=Sparling|first=Georgia|date=Jun 5, 2018|website=Lesley University|access-date=14 September 2022}}

Release

Neptune Frost had its world premiere on July 8, 2021. at the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival,Tom Grater, [https://deadline.com/video/neptune-frost-cannes-directors-fortnight-pic-ezra-miller-lin-manuel-miranda/ "‘Neptune Frost’ First Clip: Cannes Directors’ Fortnight Pic Is Produced By Ezra Miller & Lin-Manuel Miranda"]. Deadline Hollywood, July 11, 2021. where it was a nominee for the Queer Palm.Yves Lafontaine, [https://www.fugues.com/2021/06/29/les-films-du-festival-de-cannes-en-lice-pour-la-queer-palm/ "Les films du Festival de Cannes en lice pour la Queer Palm"]. Fugues, June 29, 2021. It had its North American premiere in the Wavelengths program at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.tiff.net/events/neptune-frost|title=Neptune Frost|website=Toronto International Film Festival|access-date=May 4, 2022}}Ben Dalton, [https://www.screendaily.com/news/toronto-sets-tiff-docs-midnight-madness-wavelengths-titles-for-2021/5162210.article "Toronto sets TIFF Docs, Midnight Madness, Wavelengths titles for 2021"]. Screen Daily, August 4, 2021. It also screened at the New York Film Festival on October 2, 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.filmlinc.org/nyff2021/films/neptune-frost/|title=Neptune Frost|website=New York Film Festival|access-date=May 4, 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://www.filmlinc.org/nyff2021/daily/59th-new-york-film-festival-main-slate-announced/|title=59th New York Film Festival Main Slate Announced|website=New York Film Festival|date=August 10, 2021|access-date=May 4, 2022}} and the 2022 Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2022.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/news/sundance-film-festival-2022-lineup-lena-dunham-amy-poehler-cosby-kanye-west-netflix-1235129277/|title=Sundance Unveils 2022 Feature Lineup, Including Films From Lena Dunham, Amy Poehler and Netflix's Kanye West Doc|website=Variety|first=Brent|last=Lang|date=December 9, 2021|access-date=May 4, 2022}}

It had its Australian premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival in August 2022,{{cite web |title= Neptune Frost |website=MIFF |url=https://miff.com.au/festival-archive/films/31859/neptune-frost |access-date=11 June 2025}} where it won the inaugural Bright Horizons award,{{cite web |title=‘Neptune Frost’, ‘Sweet As’ win new Melbourne film festival awards |website=Screen |date=11 June 2025 |url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/neptune-frost-sweet-as-win-new-melbourne-film-festival-awards/5173624.article |access-date=11 June 2025}} the richest film prize in the southern hemisphere, at {{AUD |140,000}} in cash.{{cite web |last=Geraets |first=Nell |title=MIFF best film winner: Neptune Frost |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=20 August 2022 |url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/movies/futuristic-view-into-love-gender-and-tech-wins-big-at-film-festival-gala-20220818-p5bawy.html |access-date=11 June 2025}}

In December 2021, Kino Lorber acquired distribution rights.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/12/kino-lorber-neptune-frost-saul-williams-anisia-uzeyman-1234898574/|title=Kino Lorber Acquires AfroFuturist Musical 'Neptune Frost' By Saul Williams And Anisia Uzeyman|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Valerie|last=Complex|date=December 17, 2021|access-date=May 4, 2022}} It was released in the United States on a limited release on June 3, 2022.{{cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/23054007/neptune-frost-trailer-afropunk-sci-fi-musical|title=Neptune Frost's first trailer offers a glimpse at Saul Williams' boundary-pushing Afropunk sci-fi musical|website=Polygon|first=Toussaint|last=Egan|date=May 4, 2022|access-date=May 4, 2022}}

Reception

{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|96|7.80|77||ref=yes|access-date=August 18, 2022}} The site's critical consensus reads "Bursting with ideas and ambition, Neptune Frost is difficult to describe -- and just as hard to resist."{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/neptune_frost|title=Neptune Frost|website=Rotten Tomatoes}} On Metacritic, the film had a weighted average score of 83 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/neptune-frost|title=Neptune Frost|website=Metacritic|publisher=CBS Interactive|accessdate=October 6, 2022}}

In November 2022, the film was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography.{{Cite web |last1=Lattanzio |first1=Ryan |date=2022-11-22 |title='Everything Everywhere,' 'TÁR' Lead Independent Spirit Award Nominations: See the Full List |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2022/11/2023-independent-spirit-award-nominations-1234784758/ |access-date=2022-11-26 |website=IndieWire |language=en}}

Neptune Frost

Plot

Cast

Production

Release

Reception

See also

References

External links