Review of The Neon Demon (2016) by Alex H — 08 Jul 2016

The Neon Demon is perverse, stylish and surreal; everything you come to expect from auteur Nicholas Winding Refn. NWR combines art house chic with B-movie plot and tropes creating one of his most accessible, while at the same time, polarising films.

Inspired I feel by the likes of Suspiria and Carrie, Neon Demon is quintessential Refn where performances are subdued, substance is sidelined and every frame is gorgeously shot where blood and shock take centre stage.

Elle Fanning is terrifically timid and Jena Malone is coolly creepy - however - i'd like to make a special shout out to Keanu Reeves who steals the show in a, possibly unintentional, humours role.

Cliff Martinez returns as composer and hits every note pitch perfect with his modern synthetic score that blends seamlessly with the vibrant images, keeps your heart on its toes and your eyes fixated to the screen.

Be warned - as per - there are scenes of gore and "sex" that are certainly offensive to the eyes. Except this time, Refn certainly pushes the boat out by delivering one scene in particular which is downright disturbed and something that I have personally NEVER seen captured on screen before.

In summation, Nicholas Winding Refn has done it again and if you are a fan of his work you will LOVE Neon Demon. However, if you don't, there is nothing new here that will win you over.