When 2016 comes to a close, I would not be surprised if The Neon Demon wasn’t the most profoundly unique film of the year. Of course, this shouldn’t be much of a surprise to fans of Nicolas Winding Refn’s past work – both 2011’s Drive and 2013’s Only God Forgives certainly claimed that title as well. At this point, then Neon Demon should be par for the course for Refn. And yet, the fact of the matter is that his style of film making hasn’t been replicated all that often, and when attempts have been made, they’re not necessarily all that successful.
Perhaps more importantly than being unique, Neon Demon is just a phenomenal film. I know that the critic consensus has been very mixed (and honestly, that’s putting it lightly), so I tried to go in with tempered expectations. I really did; but considering my love for Refn’s last two films, that was certainly difficult. In the end, the film blew all my expectations out of the water. It was everything I wanted it to be and more. Strong character stories, really cool world building, incredible performances, an insane level of creepiness, and above all, drenched in neon from beginning to end.
It’s a movie, and this is characteristic of Refn, that is absolutely dripping with style. It’s truly an experience, and one that I wish I could have experienced with all of my senses. Of course, the visuals and sound design are incredible, so incredible that I left the theater thirsting for more. Cliff Martinez’s electronic score is a callback to the music of the 80’s, and it fits the tone of the movie perfectly. In fact, the use of this score is far and away one of the most masterful elements of the film. The score builds tension really well, making otherwise unremarkable moments entirely unsettling. All things considered, there is relatively little dialogue in The Neon Demon, and so the role played by the music is amplified.
There are certain scenes in the film that stand out as having no dialogue at all. It’s here that the performances and music are allowed to truly shine, coalescing into something resembling a dance. The cinematography in these scenes is absolutely gorgeous. The shots are long, and cuts fairly rare, at least by modern standards. The camera lingers for long periods of time, but then will pan all over the shot, showing the action from multiple perspectives. It is in these scenes that reality becomes distorted, and I wasn’t entirely sure what I was watching, and how these bits connected to the rest of the movie. What I will say is that the surrealism here really impressed me, and these are the moments that stood out. Everything that’s great about the film coalesces in these moments of darkness, where very small parts of the shot are lit up in vibrant neon. It’s a spectacle that was unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
It shows incredible restraint on the part of the writers (Refn, along with Mary Laws and Polly Stenham), because there are a bunch of spots where expository dialogue could be inserted. The less-is-more philosophy certainly works super well here, allowing the stellar cast to really showcase their range.
The movie, for those who don’t know, follows Jesse (Elle Fanning), in a modern Los Angeles as she navigates the complicated world of modeling. Of course, there is a twist here, after all, that conceit on its own would be almost too normal for a Refn film. It’s actually a very interesting, and surprisingly clever, modern take on a classic folk tale. Saying which would give away too much, including the third act plot twist. However, I will say that the build up to that twist is handled incredibly. In fact, it’s ceded as soon as Jesse’s first encounter with Ruby (Jena Malone).
Malone and Fanning, from their first encounter, have excellent on screen chemistry. The two just click, and considering they’re probably the characters with the most screen time, that’s incredibly important. Ruby’s two friends, Gigi (Bella Heathcote) and Sarah (Abbey Lee) initially seem wooden, and stilted. I kind of rolled my eyes at this, thinking their performances were just awful. I was legitimately disappointed, as I got the sense that a lot of time would be spent with the characters. But as the movie progressed, and the plot unraveled, it became clear that that was intentional. By the final act I was entirely bought into the duo’s performances.
In fact, I don’t believe that there’s a single bad performance in the movie. Christina Hendricks play a brief role as Roberta Hoffman, but absolutely destroys it. As for the male characters, Keanu Reeves’ Hank is truly vile, but he sells that role brilliantly. Karl Glusman’s Dean grounds the movie, even as Jesse’s character is warped by her experiences. He remains the moral tether as everyone else spirals, and the movie grows ever more intense.
Based on the context in which he is introduced, this is surprising. But with The Neon Demon, Refn, Laws, and Stenham make a point of subverting audience expectations. They play with genre conventions in some really interesting ways, which is part of why the film is such a unique viewing experience.
For the most part, the actual conflict and story aren’t really anything new. As I alluded to earlier, it’s based heavily off of folklore. That being said, the story of coming of age and loss of innocence is one that really never gets old, and a lot depends on how that story is told. Between it’s brilliant aesthetic, incredible cinematography, killer performances, and excellent storytelling, I feel comfortable saying Neon Demon actually manages to do something new with the formula. Parts of it are legitimately a blast to see unfold, despite the overall sinister tone that the film carries with it throughout its 117 minute run time.
Which, by the way, feels a lot shorter than it actually is. When I turned my phone on after the credits had finished rolling and I was exiting the theater, I was stunned at how long the movie had been. Because, like all good pacing, I just didn’t notice it, because of how enveloped I was in watching the film. It’s the type of movie that’s easy to lose yourself in, and honestly, the more I think and write about it, the more I realize that I need to see it again. There’s probably so much I missed about it, things that require knowledge of how the plot plays out to truly grasp. I mean, sure, there were some things I picked up on pretty quickly, but I would really like to revisit certain scenes early in the movie with a better lens for them.
What I will say is that the ending is a little bit abrupt. Now, this could just be that I was so engrossed in the world that I just wanted to spend more time with the characters. But, as I mentioned earlier, the less-is-more philosophy is very present in this film. There are things that are simply left up to the viewer’s imagination, including how the story continues from where it ends. In a sense, this further illustrates the restraint that the writers had. The potential certainly exists for a far longer film, but tie up all the loose threads after the main story has come to a close? The film makers trust that the viewers are smart enough to grapple with the ending themselves.
The Neon Demon is easily the best movie I’ve seen so far this year. It is truly an exceptional work of art, and honestly, in a few years, I do believe that critics will turn around on this movie like they did with Only God Forgives. It’s a film that manages to provide spectacle, but not at the cost of keeping its plot and characters intact and interesting. The aesthetic of the whole affair is characteristically Refn, but still somehow entirely unique. At the first chance you get, see this movie. It’s a film that resonated withe me in ways I really wasn’t expecting it to.
