INTERVIEW: Kim Coates explores subject of mental health in new film ‘Neon Lights’
Photo: Neon Lights features Kim Coates, best known for his work on TV’s Sons of Anarchy. Photo courtesy of Momentum Pictures / Provided by KWPR with permission.
The new film Neon Lights, written by and starring Dana Abraham, employs the help of father-daughter acting duo Kim Coates and Brenna Coates to portray a story that involves the serious issues of mental health, abuse and familial horror. The Momentum Pictures release, directed by Rouzbeh Heydari, arrives on digital and on demand today, July 12.
In the movie, guests start disappearing at a remote location during a family reunion of siblings and their offspring, according to press notes. Abraham plays the character of Clay Amani, a tech tycoon, while Brenna plays a psychiatrist named Laila. Kim, on the other hand, plays a mysterious character named Denver who proves pivotal to the overall narrative.
For Kim, an alumnus of TV’s Sons of Anarchy, the opportunity to portray Denver was a welcome one because he got to work with Abraham, who he said wrote a beautiful little film, and his daughter, known for Coroner and The Wolves.
“It was during the beginning stages of the pandemic,” Kim said in a recent Zoom interview. “It was summer of 2020, and everyone was scared of everything and what’s happening and no vaccinations. It was a different world, right. I mean Canada we were way ahead of the curve in doing things the correct way, certainly more than the States. We started doing movies and TV in the fall [of 2020]. Everyone was getting tested and masks and shields and doing it the right way and keeping people safe and all that, and this thing popped on my manager-agent’s desk in Canada.”
The project came to Kim as a joint venture with Brenna, and he immediately thought it would be cool to act alongside his daughter. However, he didn’t quite understand the psychological thriller when he first read the script. In fact, he had to read the story three times before he started to understand the ins and outs of the storyline.
“It was way too convoluted,” he said. “So I needed to really try and understand it, and I did. So when I did, and I talked to both Dana and Rouzbeh Heydari, the director, and I gave my concerns and what we need to watch out for, they agreed with everything I said, made a couple of changes that were paramount to me saying yes. The rest is history. It turned out really, really well.”
Kim enjoys the success he has earned in the movie and TV business, and with that success comes respect for his opinions on characters and stories. He counts himself lucky that he is able to sign on to projects that allow him to have an honest conversation with the writer and director about the character he’s about to portray.
“I really can’t remember the last time I didn’t have that freedom,” Kim said. “First of all, I have no problem saying no. I say no a lot. If the script is really good, then we’re already starting at a really good place, and so it’s just a little bit that needs to be discussed or changed or at least thought about before I sign on the dotted line.”
This formula for finding quality projects has served Kim well. He has had great success over the past few decades. In addition to Sons of Anarchy, he has appeared in everything from The White House Plumbers to Van Helsing to Ghost Wars. His film work includes Goon, Resident Evil: Afterlife and Fantasy Island, among many other projects. He’s also a regular presence on the convention circuit, with a scheduled appearance at August’s Monster Mania in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
Kim has also seen the movie business change throughout his career. Today, his independent film projects often land on digital and on demand, sidestepping the movie theater altogether, and that’s fine by him.
“These kind of films have life in two ways, film festivals and then video on demand,” Kim said. “Without those two aspects, these movies can never be made without making their money back or making a dollar or making $100 or making $1,000. So this one, particularly because it’s such a psychological thriller / horror / mental health, I think people can really enjoy … in their own home with their own shot of whiskey or water and some popcorn and delving into this story of Neon Lights for sure.”
To prepare for the trauma behind the story in Neon Lights, Kim did some research. He wanted to know more about the trauma of the home and what happens when a father mentally abuses a family. He needed to conduct research because he didn’t have a real-life parallel to draw upon — thankfully.
“Me as a young boy had none of that,” he said. “My dad was the sweetest man on the planet. He’s gone now. Mom’s still alive. She’s 92. … I read stuff. I’ve watched documentaries, so I know what appeals to me and what turns me on and what really disgusts me when it comes to mental health. So this was a quick read about the household of a young boy or boys or girls that got through some form of abuse that comes out later in their lives, and so that helped a lot. Rouzbeh Heydari had done a lot of research. My daughter Brenna did a [lot] of research to play her psychiatrist. After that, it’s just a matter of trusting the script, trusting what Dana and I would bring to it by listening to each other. … You then let the artists just do their process, and let the director have at it, and let them be free to create something really cool.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Neon Lights, featuring Kim Coates, is now available on digital and on demand from Momentum Pictures. Click here for more information.
