The Neon Demon Review

They say a director needs to make at least seven movies before they make a masterpiece. Except in the case of Nicholas Winding Refn, whom I believe will take at least seventy movies. While before watching The Neon Demon I had only seen one other Refn movie (Drive), I had always been interested in trying to watch more of his filmography but now I doubt I will ever see another one. I did try to go into this movie with an open mind and I did think I would enjoy this movie, I was disappointed to say the least.

Refn has been quoted as saying that this movie is about "the teenage girl inside him" but I ponder whether or not Refn has met a teenage girl. The actual plot of the movie is about a 16 year old girl, Jesse, (Elle Fanning) who moves to Los Angeles to get into the modeling industry and standing in her way? Well actually nothing really is until three quarters into the movie and it just culminates in 20 shots that would've made sense to finish on. There's a small handful of supporting characters in the movie but each one of them comes off as one dimensional until the plot comes to a realisation that they need to develop and just do.

The first supporting character we meet is an amateur photographer, who is shown like the main character from Peeping Tom, who is shown as one with his camera in a way that only contradicts character later on but that's made redundant because that happens several times, even during single scenes. The next one is a make-up girl who acts a mother to Jesse but her true intentions don't come off as what someone would imagine as a teenage girl but rather a teenage boy. There are also two other models who seem to only serve the plot as all they want is to be at the top and eat up all the competition.

However one of the supporting characters is actually is one of the best things about the movie. Keanu Reeves. He plays the motel manager at which Jesse stays at. However his character feels like it belongs in the movie that should've been made. One that actually wants to tackle issues of female body image in ways no one has before. Instead it only wanted to take steps backward and the movie very rarely tried to add dimension to its characters so that we, the audience, could relate too and actually care about.

Not only do characters lack dimension, they also seem to change within scenes. In one scene the amateur photographer is on a 'date' with Jesse and when he finds out that she is 16 he decides that he should go. Jesse then asks him to say but you now have a sense that he's a responsible guy. In the very next scene his character motivations seem to revert back to what it was in the scene before. It's a waste of screen time and doesn't serve any character or emotional arc. The movie is filled with moments of these. Characters do change however, but when they do it just happens. Jesse's major change in the film takes place in a montage that was most definitely meant to represent her change. It just came off as Refn falling into self parody. It's understand since Refn has claimed he is dyslexic so he communicates through imagery. If he wants to make a great movie by film number 70, he will have to learn how more clearly get his point along with his images that are borderline experimental.

While his (experimental) images more often than not don't make much sense, they still look amazing. Cinematographer Natasha Braier does to a great job of capturing the neon filled LA landscape and interiors. She also does a great job in capturing the shadows that go along with it. The framing essentially is trying to invoke a feeling of being entrapped and not knowing the true intentions of the model world and its plans with Jesse.

I just wish that the movie was able to choose an idea to follow. At points I thought this could be the Mulholland Dr of the fashion world and other points the Black Swan of the fashion world. Refn would've been wise to go with a mixture of the two but they are never mixed. I don't think I will be watching any other Refn movies anytime soon.

Overall Score: 2/10

The Neon Demon is playing exclusivity at Dendy Newtown in Sydney

Director: Nicholas Winding Refn

Writer: Nicholas Winding Refn (story & screenplay), Mary Laws (screenplay) & Polly Stenham (Screenplay)

Starring: Elle Fanning, Karl Glusman, Jena Malone, Bella Heathcote, Abby Lee, Christina Hendricks and Keanu Reeves

Cinematography: Natasha Braier

Editing: Matthew Newman

Music/Score: Cliff Martinez