Starring: Elle Fanning, Jena Malone, Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves
The Neon Demon
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Rating: 2/5
It is always exciting when a Nicolas Winding Refn movie is on the horizon because you never know what you are going to get. While he has created some terrific movies in recent years, he has also been behind movies that have divided audiences and critics.
Refn is back in the director's chair with The Neon Demon, which sees him team up with actress Elle Fanning for their first film project together. It is also the first time that we have seen Refn in the director's chair since Only God Forgives back in 2013.
When aspiring model Jesse moves to Los Angeles, her youth and vitality are devoured by a group of beauty-obsessed women who will use any means necessary to get what she has.
The Neon Demon is a movie that I have been looking forward to as I am a fan of Refn as a filmmaker. While there were elements of the film that I loved, it didn't quite live up to my expectations.
Visually, The Neon Demon is just stunning and, much like Drive back in 2011, the visuals do help build the narrative - but only to a certain point.
Sadly, The Neon Demon is a little bit style over substance and while the movie looks fantastic, it is a little weak on the story as well as the character development.
Refn appears to have gone out of his way to stun and shock us visually but has failed to develop any of the interesting themes that are hinted on, which is a real shame.
Elle Fanning really is one of the most exciting actresses around and a movie like The Neon Demon and a character like Jesse is something that we have never seen her tackle before.
And Fanning does her best with what she is given - it would have been interesting to see her performance if she had been given a well-rounded and developed character to get her teeth into. The Neon Demon boasts a very impressive cast and I would have loved to have seen more of Hendricks and Reeves.
I have to admit, The Neon Demon is one of the most disappointing films that I have seen so far this year as Refn didn't quite reach the dizzy heights that I have come to expect from the filmmaker.
There's no denying that there is a hypnotic feel to the film and it does look fantastic, but from a script point of view, it really does lack some bite.
The Neon Demon is out now.
Tagged in Nicolas Winding Refn