The Neon Demon (2016)

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Stars: Elle Fanning, Jena Malone, Keanu Reeves
Runtime: 117 minutes

Synopsis: An aspiring model, Jesse, is new to Los Angeles. However, her beauty and youth, which generate intense fascination and jealousy within the fashion industry, may prove themselves sinister.

Verdict: The film's tagline, borrowed from a line uttered by Alessandro Nivola's character, couldn't be any clearer: "Beauty isn't everything. It's the only thing". And believe me when I say that if this was truly the case, then Nicolas Winding Refn's "The Neon Demon" would now be considered a cinematic masterpiece. Starring Elle Fanning as an aspiring model whose first steps in the fashion industry lead her down a sinister path, the movie's biggest asset is most definitely its very rich style. I'd even go as far as to say that it's one of the most visually stimulating projects of the current century, achieved using stunning neon imagery and satisfying symmetry partly accomplished thanks to an interesting use of reflections and mirrors. It's a treat for the eyes but also for the ears, as Cliff Martinez's score served as the final touch of the fever dream atmosphere that Refn was aiming for.

But, ironically enough, beauty isn't everything, and "The Neon Demon" is the very proof of that statement.

That is not to say that the thin narrative at the heart of the movie doesn't come with any redeemable qualities. I for one certainly found some aspects of it to be intriguing, including its not-so-subtle commentary on the fashion industry's toxic competitive nature in which attention is a drug, and beauty a currency. Elle Fanning's transformation was overall handled in a pretty efficient way despite the character's cold and distant persona. Much like the rest of the cast, her performance was serviceable without being career-defining. That being said, the biggest complaint I have about the narrative would have to be its horror elements which, although succeeding in showcasing some spine-chilling moments towards the end, never fully earned their presence in a film that spent a long time building up to something entirely different.

The best way of describing my experience with "The Neon Demon" would be by comparing it to a hypnosis session. For the entirety of its runtime, I was unable to take my eyes off the screen due to the film's magnificent aesthetics, but I was ultimately and sadly left with next to nothing to think about when the credits started to roll.

FINAL GRADE: 7/10