Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon Is a Mind-Bending Cinematic Treasure

If you could imagine the most twisted and fucked up thing that could go down in the cutthroat world of modelling, it wouldn’t even come close to the twisted and fucked up story that unravels in The Neon Demon. Nicolas Winding Refn (known best for his stylish thriller, Drive) gives us a mind-bending cinematic treasure that will do things to your head and body.

Aspiring model Jesse (Elle Fanning) is a doe-eyed deer caught in headlights. She has big dreams, a sweet heart, and knows nothing of the dangers that await her in the real world. She takes shelter in a rundown motel, owned and operated by a shady low-life (Keanu Reeves). At night, she looks at the sparkling lights on the Hollywood Hills, wondering what life will be like when she begins her journey in the fierce beauty industry, where looks can (and do) kill.

While on set, she’s befriended by Ruby (Jena Malone), an older makeup artist who appears to want to help naive and disoriented Jesse, but secretly has darker intentions. At an ominous nightclub in thumping LA, Ruby introduces Jesse to an entourage of tall thin blondes who are vicious for the spotlight and desperate for fame. Like fresh meat to a pack of hungry lions, Jesse is hunted at casting calls and photo shoots.

There are moments when you will wriggle and cringe at the weirdness in this film, but that’s also what makes it an exhilarating ride through Refn’s vivid and wild imagination.

Cutting dialogue and bizarre plot twists, mixed with beautiful art direction, The Neon Demon is an orgasmic high for the fashion crowd.