The Neon Demon (2016) Review: Pretty in Pink

As with director Nicolas Winding Refn’s recent films, Drive (2011) and Only God Forgives (2013), The Neon Demon is just as visually stunning  from the first frame all the way to the last. It is also as controversial and over-the-top as could be expected as a follow-up to Only God Forgives that culminates in an extremely gutsy third act with the sole purpose to disturb. Unlike Only God Forgives, The Neon Demon is not as abstract and “artsy” as its predecessor which may make it more accessible to a broader audience whilst still holding on to Refn’s experimental and exaggerated high contrast style.

The Neon Demon follows Jesse (Elle Fanning), a 16 year old girl who has arrived in LA to try and make it as a model, a goal she succeeds in almost immediately on arrival as she is quickly placed in the centre of the fashion industry. Fanning gives a decent performance and is supported well by Jena Malone as a friend supposedly looking out for Jesse’s best interests and Keanu Reeves as the sleazy motel owner. Refn largely makes broad statements on the narcissistic and egocentric nature of the cut-throat fashion industry that is by no means original. Refn often relies upon his surreal visuals more than the anything else which raises the question if The Neon Demon is style over substance. The answer is yes. This is by no means a strike against Refn’s latest work at all. Refn is able to affectively create a visually stunning and strange world that fits around his characters’ twisted views on youth, beauty, and fame. If this project were directed by anyone else, it would probably not be as entertaining or interesting.

The third act – as controversial and excessive as it is –disrupts the flow of the film up until this point that leaves what feels like a disjointed epilogue than a conclusion. In a manner of speaking, this is exactly what it is but to explain why would be giving too much away. The epilogue also suffers from having multiple endings. The way the last moments of the film are presented, The Neon Demon could have (and probably should have) ended ten minutes before it eventually does. The arrival of the credits after the screen fades to black calls for a sigh of relief instead of the applause or shocked silence that it deserves. Refn’s Neon Demon is a masterpiece of visual storytelling and, combined with a phenomenally haunting score by Cliff Martinez, is a concrete example of the cinematic art.

By Andrew Murray