"The Neon Demon" Review

From Nicolas Winding Refn, the director of Drive and Only God Forgives, comes another uncompromising vision in fluorescence and blood. Though it may not be singularly unique, Refn's The Neon Demon is about as bold and unsettling a film as I've seen in quite some time. It's the perfect movie to shatter through the mundanity of another safe summer blockbuster season.

Before seeing The Neon Demon, I recommend checking out Kevin Kolsch & Dennis Widmyer's Starry Eyes as well as Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan. This triple feature from Hell offers three bloodcurdling visions of the toxicity of fame. Specifically, The Neon Demon centers around a young, up-and-coming model named Jesse (Elle Fanning). Jesse moves to Los Angeles from a small town like so many young girls dreaming of fame and fortune. On her first job, she meets Ruby (Jena Malone), a talented makeup designer. Ruby introduces Jesse to Sarah (Abbey Lee) and Gigi (Bella Heathcote), two other models against whom Jesse will likely compete for jobs. Threatened by the new girl's youthful, doe-like beauty, Gigi and Sarah will do whatever it takes to devour the competition before the industry corrupts Jesse forever.

Compared to Refn's previous work, The Neon Demon isn't quite as accessible as Drive. Anyone looking to study the director should start there, and then maybe work their way backwards to Bronson, Valhalla Rising, and the Pusher trilogy. End it with the neon-drenched double bill of Only God Forgives and The Neon Demon. Only God Forgives, for me, is the toughest to digest. It's very slow, and the message isn't entirely clear. The Neon Demon is sort of a happy medium between Drive and Only God Forgives. Its pacing is deliberate, but it actually has a script with a story and characters worth following.

The Neon Demon revels in the macabre a bit more than anything I've seen from Refn before. This is a horror film in the art-house sense. From the film's chilling opening shot, to a photo shoot where Jesse is swathed in nothing but gold paint, to a nightmarish runway rave sequence, every frame is a visual feast. Regardless of how unsettling and unsubtle the journey may be, it is impossible to tear your eyes away from the screen. It culminates in a shock ending the likes of which Hollywood doesn't have the balls to put in movies anymore.

Fanning is tremendous in the lead role with Malone standing out among the supporting cast. Mad Men's Christina Hendricks and The Matrix's Keanu Reeves both have small roles that they fill nicely. Hendricks plays a representative for a modeling agency with Reeves as the manager of the grungy motel Jesse lives at.

Bottom line is that if you are someone who prefers movies that are straightforward rather than overtly bizarre, you should probably stay away. But if you're someone who enjoys horror stories that aren't all haunted houses and jump scares, or if you appreciate Refn's previous work, you should find plenty to love in The Neon Demon.

A