Daddy Yankee's reggaeton Netflix show 'Neon' is an endless party
It's nice to find the dreamers in the world.
So many of our cultural stories these days are about the already powerful, whether we watch the machinations of the corrupt and dishonorable ("Succession") or the ever-more convoluted adventures of the super-powered fighting the equally but villainously super-powered (every Marvel show and film). At the summer box office, we had "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer," one based on a toy that has sold millions for multiple generations and the other about the man who created the deadliest weapon in the world.
So where do we find space for a kid from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who just wants to make music?
Well, amid all those other projects you might spot the literal bright light of Netflix's "Neon" (now streaming, ★★★½ out of four), the Daddy Yankee-produced story of Santi (Tyler Dean Flores), an aspiring reggaeton artist hoping for his first record deal. Santi has talent, ambition, energy and two faithful best friends, but that may not be enough to make it in Miami's crowded music scene, which includes enough hustlers, schemers and dreamers to bowl right over naīve Santi and his crew.
Funny, occasionally absurd and with a vision to match its glowing title, "Neon" is the kind of little-show-that-could that used to define Netflix's original series. Santi and his "professional team" of childhood pals − nervous manager Ness (Emma Ferreira) and loopy creative director Felix (Jordan Mendoza) − are such lovable losers, that you automatically want to root for them.
After Santi earns a modest hit with a self-produced song and music video, he and his friends take the leap and move from small-town Florida to the bright lights of Miami, the heart of the reggaeton scene. Expecting an instant record deal, tons of cash and adoring fans, they instead find a harsh awakening when navigating the music business proves harder than showing up with talent.
When record label rep Mia (Courtney Taylor), who may not be what she seems, crushes some of their hopes and dreams, team Santi has to figure out how to turn his internet fame into a real opportunity, whether that means remixing a grocery store jingle, sneaking into swanky parties or crashing other singers' performances. The series does not shy away from cringe humor, but with Flores' cherubic face and bright smile, Santi always seems to get out of his scrapes.
"Neon" balances a sexy and silly vibe that embraces the club-thumping and seedy backdrop of Miami yet finds humor in the most unexpected places. Its music is electric and catchy, and the characters appear to capture the spirit of the Latino-influenced reggaeton genre, topping charts with artists like "Gasolina" singer Yankee, Bad Bunny and J Balvin. Yankee and artists like Jota Rosa appear in cameos as themselves, and guest stars like Jordana Brewster ("Fast and Furious") provide plenty of verve and chemistry.
No matter how many roadblocks Santi hits, from a lack of money, a place to live, or getting tangled up with a possible crime lord, his optimism almost never wavers. Sure, he has moments of despair, as we all do, but overall he, Ness, Felix and Mia offer the kind of unironic can-do spirit that might seem cheesy to some but feels refreshing in a cynical era.
Santi may not even be real, but I still feel like one day he'll be topping the charts.
