Synopsis:
A provocative horror-thriller that follows Jesse (Elle Fanning), a starry-eyed sixteen-year-old who comes to Los Angeles with dreams of becoming a runway model. Lying about her age in order to score gigs, she struggles to claw her way up the ladder of Hollywood’s cutthroat modelingindustry. Her career takes a turn when she befriends snarky makeup artist Ruby (Jena Malone), who plugs her into the city’s nightclub scene, introducing her to Gigi and Sarah, two model friends in their early twenties who are already becoming yesterday’s news. But as Jesse’s star rises, her virgin innocence attracts jealous eyes, making her vulnerable to violence…
What We Thought:
Where do I begin with The Neon Demon? The first 2/3rds of the film I would say is a combination of Mean Girls and Black Swan.
It starts out with Elle Fanning trying to get her foot in the door that is the world of modeling in Los Angeles. She does a job where she makes friends with a make up artist (Malone). That’s easy enough to understand. Malone introduces her to other models in the club scene.
This is where it gets Mean Girls-ish. The models don’t really like the new young girl with her real hair, real nose, real everything. She’s younger than they are and is seen as their rival (Black Swan-ish). Fanning starts booking gigs and the other models don’t like it.
All that I totally understand. Throw in a love interest, a possible pervy photographer, a very pervy hotel clerk (played scarily by Keanu Reeves) and I’m digging the movie at this point. I’m liking it a lot actually. The highlights and pitfalls of Los Angeles. I get it.
Then it changes. Drastically. One might call it a major curveball. I’d spoil it for you, but that would mean I understood what happened. I didn’t. Were the people vampires? Were they cannibals? Did they eat people to stay young looking? Was it simply a metaphor telling you that Hollywood can eat you alive? Your guess is as good as mine and I’ve seen the movie.
Despite not understanding the ending, I loved director Nicolas Winding Refn’s style, feel, tone, colors, direction, look, everything about the appearance of the film. I really enjoyed Drive. I didn’t like Only God Forgives. I can respect what he does in that, but I didn’t like it as a movie. His style is pretty breathtaking in this and there’s a scene with Fanning on a diving board that is flawless. Terrence Malick now makes movies that are breathtaking to look at it, but lack a story, at least I understand most of the story in Refn’s latest film.
The Neon Demon is a hard sell. I’m not sure who to recommend it to and it sounds like I didn’t like the film. I did. At least I think I did. Refn’s coloring, blocking and framing can’t be beat by anyone in the game today. Add in an amazing score with original music by Cliff Martinez and it’s a piece of art. It’s a film you have to see for yourself. The general movie going audience will hate it and walk out. Some people might think it’s the best picture of the year. I think it’s beautiful and crazy and isn’t that what art is supposed to be?
RECOMMENDED SO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT!
Cast & Crew:
- Elle Fanning
- Jena Malone
- Keanu Reeves
- Director Nicolas Winding Refn
Recommended If You Like:
- Knight of Cups
- Black Swan
- Nicolas Winding Refn
The Nerds Templar 