Review of The Neon Demon (2016) by Horcrux2007 — 25 Jun 2016

Director Nicolas Winding Refn returns to the big screen with his lesbian cannibal necrophiliac thriller The Neon Demon that got one of Cannes infamous "boos" (which realistically means nothing).

There's also this whole thing about the modeling industry too. Elle Fanning plays Jesse, a 16 year old aspiring model in LA, gets signed by an agency for her natural beauty and youth. However, as she quickly rises through the ranks, other models start to become jealous and will stop at nothing to steal her beauty and youth in a world that's literally eat or be eaten.

Refn can certainly stage some elaborate visuals because the entire movie is eye candy. There's a color scheme reminiscent of Suspiria, some hypnotically beautiful visual set pieces all put alongside an awesome 80's-style synth score.

Refn makes a clear distinction from the high society of the modeling industry and Jesse's real life living in a run-down motel with a sleazy owner. While the modeling world has all the fantastic visuals, the real world is portrayed in a gritty way that shows that living the high life in LA might not really be as great as one might think.

The actual plot is difficult to follow at points since the story sometimes takes a backseat to the visuals, but it's interesting enough and even pretty disturbing at times that it'll keep you engaged.

There's a slew of crazy scenes involving cannibalism and necrophilia that more hardcore viewers might enjoy, just don't go in expecting another Cannibal Holocaust. The disturbing parts are more subtle and slow than your usual gorefest.

The ending especially will either shock you or infuriate you. The Neon Demon is going to divide its audience based on if they're willing to stomach the more difficult scenes, but it's a visually stunning, often disturbing and poignant satire of the modeling industry in Los Angeles.