"The Neon Demon" review

It's difficult to talk about The Neon Demon without spoiling anything. The best things about the film are its themes and how Director Nicholas Winding Refn explores topical subjects through the female lens, like how destructive it can be to try to live up to society's standards of physical beauty as well as the various psychological consequences of internalized misogyny. I'll just say that this film is layered with rich subtext that demand multiple screenings.

One thing I can talk about is the cinematography, since you get a taste of it in the trailers. This film is absolutely gorgeous. Each frame is gushing with a hyper-stylized, surreal ambience that immensely adds to the unnervingly dark tone of the film. It's akin to Refn's Drive.

The Neon Demon starts out as a psychological thriller but slowly unravels to closer resemble a horror film. From the start you can tell something isn't quite right with Elle Fanning's Jesse, a young woman who moves out to L.A. in hopes of kickstarting a modeling career. She meets up with a cast of equally mysterious men and women who all have their own intentions for her. Jena Malone stands out as a makeup artist who befriends Jesse and acts as a mentor. As things become clear, that initial unnerving sense of tension builds to a jaw-dropping head that you won't soon forget.

The Neon Demon is most definitely worth your time.