Writer-director Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, Only God Forgives) is known for bringing provocative and ambitious projects to the big-screen. But his latest horror/thriller is far from groundbreaking.
The Neon Demon examines the familiar theme of society's appearance-fixated culture and the filtered beauty of social media.
For the best part it feels like Refn's scathing indictment of the dog-eat-dog fashion world is just trying to shock and alarm. It purports to explore the shallowness and viciousness of the fashion industry but very quickly becomes a parody of itself.
Set to a backdrop of strobe-lit fluorescent visuals and accompanied by a pulsating electronic score, the vapid message of the film questions whether beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. A character states early on, "true beauty is the highest currency we have".
The movie centres on the filmmaker’s first female protagonist - an aspiring model Jesse (Elle Fanning) - who moves to Los Angeles and enters the famously ferocious fashion industry. She is initially dismissed by two jaded models in their early twenties (Abbey Lee, Bella Heathcote), who see her as a mere wannabe, but they soon realise she is a genuine threat.
Along the way the ingénuemeets a make-up artist who immediately hones in on her naiveté; a guy (Karl Glusman) who recognises Jesse's unique beauty and tries to use it for her photography career; a creepy motel owner who preys on innocent lodgers (Keanu Reeves); and the token pushy agent (Christina Hendricks).
The plot is slow and un-involving and the characters are thinly developed (no pun intended) - but maybe that's the point? The empty script could plausibly be a metaphor for itself and a description of what it represents.
Each scene is beautifully staged with a minimal amount of people but at just under two hours, the movie is too long and indulgent. Apparently parts of the script were improvised - more like the whole thing.
Refn's urge to shock viewers ends up derailing in lunacy and hidden metaphors. A mountain lion randomly appears in Jesse's bedroom, indicating that her once safe surroundings are no more; a blood-soaked photo session happens early on, representing the cut-throat fashion world; and a lights-out photo shoot takes place to highlight the vulnerability of models in the industry. Struggling to keep up yet?
The last thirty minutes of the movie descend into utter chaos and confusion and delves into controversial content involving necrophilia and cannibalism. The latter themes saw critics boo and shout at the screen after its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and will no doubt divide viewers once again during its official release.
Cliff Martinez's electronic score wed with scenes made up of complete silence makes for a confusing experience and questions whether Refn himself even understands what he's trying to say.
Laura Delaney
