Richie’s Review: The Neon Demon

Vampires and models aren’t things that usually cross my mind at the same time but the new film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, “The Neon Demon”, incorporates both of these topics. I have been a fan of Refn’s work for a while, including his movies “Bronson”, “Drive” and “Only God Forgives”, so I had pretty high expectations for “The Neon Demon” without knowing what it was about. Taking this into account, I was extremely disappointed with the film.

The first flaw I’d like to point out about the movie are the characters. Jesse, the protagonist, was played by Elle Fanning. She is a 16 year-old who is dominating the model industry with her natural beauty and uniqueness. That was it. The other characters in “The Neon Demon” are one-noted. Another example is the character Keanu Reeves plays, Hank. Hank is the owner of the motel that Jesse is staying at and his main purpose is to make her feel unwanted. The characters were not necessarily poorly portrayed, because they all represent something, but the story could’ve definitely used some work.

The story of “The Neon Demon” is one of the most linear plots to be put together in some time. The plot is as follows: A girl goes to Los Angeles to be an aspiring model, other models and vampires get jealous and then they eat her. Most of the movie is Jesse is showing up to auditions, walking down a runway with her innocent sass and meeting the people in the fashion industry. The characters around her are supposed to make the scenes more interesting but it actually becomes a bore.

The one thing I appreciated about the film was the aesthetic it creates. Refn is a very visual director. He knows how to use colors to create or intensify a mood during certain scenes. I was glad to see he hasn’t lost his touch when it comes to his images. I loved the mood he created with the strobing red lights, glitter and the very intense contrasts he shows in the backgrounds and dresses. The music is something you would hear at a European model show with bouncy bass, but is still sophisticated.

With a storyline that’s not riveting and the hollow characters, I was extremely dissatisfied with the film. Refn has proved to be a great director in the past, but this movie fell short. Although the images are beautiful and the atmosphere is euphoric, everything else made the film empty.