Following its world premiere at SXSW on March 16, 2026, Drew Kirsch's debut crime thriller 'He Bled Neon'—starring Joe Cole, Rita Ora, and Marshawn Lynch—receives a lukewarm review from The Hollywood Reporter, which labels it a clichéd entry in the genre.
The Hollywood Reporter published its review of 'He Bled Neon' on March 18, 2026, titled “'He Bled Neon' Review: Joe Cole and Rita Ora in Clichéd Crime Story.” Directed by Drew Kirsch in his feature directorial debut, the film follows Joe Cole as Ethan, a man pulled back to Las Vegas after his brother's apparent overdose, which he suspects is murder. The cast also includes Marshawn Lynch, Rita Ora, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Paul Wesley, and Josh Holloway.
The review criticizes the movie for relying on familiar crime genre tropes without innovation. This comes days after the film's premiere in the Narrative Spotlight section of the 2026 SXSW Film & TV Festival, where first-look images were previously unveiled (see prior coverage). Cole and Lynch serve as executive producers.