Review: The Neon Demon

I have had mixed feelings of Director Nicolas Winding Refn and his previous works. He is definitely what you would call, an experimental film-maker. A lot of his works gets polarizing views. I think these are the bravest types of film-makers. They are willing to do something quite risky, and you will either love it and consider it as one of the years best films, or think it's a pile of pretentious rubbish.

I really like Bronson and I appreciated Drive more than see it as the masterpiece many consider it to be. I have yet to see his others works. But it sounds like some work, and some don't.

However, what you will always get with Winding Refn, is a visual spectacle. The studio that he co-founded 'Space Rocket Nation' is used in production for only the second time, with Only God Forgives being the first one.

The trailer certainly looked like a feast for the eyes, the story looked like to have a lot of potential and the cast looked pretty solid.

It was certainly one of the most immersive and visceral cinematic experiences I have had in some time.
This film is certainly ballsy and goes into some dark, sinister and truly weird places. However, a lot  of the content did not feel pretentious and felt it was there for a reason. Whatever is happening, it certainly gives us time to appreciate the truly astonishing visuals.
The final third of the movie goes completely insane. It goes into a horror/fairy-tale tone. It does feel over-the-top at times, and it certainly shocked me. However, I thought it had the potential to go that way. It portrays narcissism, obsession of ones beauty and appearance in a pretty glorified and over-the-top manner within the topic that they are covering really well. If you have seen Black Swan and then see this, you will know exactly where I am coming from.

As well as Black Swan, another film that it has similarities, is Mulholland Drive. If you like the directors who did these (Darren Aronofsky and David Lynch), then this is certainly the film for you.

Elle Fanning was a great lead. Her character certainly has quite a transformation and it is quite un-nerving to watch at times. Jena Malone was a lot better then I thought she would be as the main supportive role. She certainly goes into some deep and dark places in this film, and I will probably never look at her in the same way again. There were also some sinister performances by Abbey Lee and Bella Heathcote. Whilst having strange motivations, I felt Keanu Reeeves' character was pretty good. The role seemed to fit in well for him. His delivery of lines had great authority and even had some comedic relief. It was also a nice surprise to see Alessandro Nivola be involved in a minor role.

Technically, it is phenomenal. The cinematography goes without saying. The use of colors is quite something and cinematographer Natasha Braier should be proud of what she has achieved. Also props to Erin Benach and Erin Ayanian and her team for the terrific costumes and make-up.

I did not expect the score to be so good. Cliff Martinez's use of synthesizers gave the whole film a really mystical feel to it throughout. It sounded similar to Blade Runner or It Follows, which is always a good thing as that is what I consider the former to be the greatest film score of all-time.

If you are someone who is complaining about no originality in Hollywood, then check this out. It does not matter if you end up hating it or loving it. Films that takes risks and that are different expect reviews like this. That is the point of experimental film-making.

For me, I was quite impressed by it. A lot of people will see this as a film that has style over substance. I can probably agree with that. It is not necessarily a bad thing. I love my visuals, and visual story-telling is a tough skill. However, I think the story worked for me and it gave the film some gravitas rather than just what you can see on screen.

As mentioned before, the visuals are stunning. It has metaphors that really stick with you, and I would happily put this on in the background at a party with the score being played as well.

If you like a more straight forward narrative, then stay away from this. However, if you like trying out films that are different, take risks, and rarely tell the story straight, then by all means see this right now, this second.

It has staying power, and it could well become a cult classic. It is incredibly strange and weird. But I managed to be quite captivated by it. This is certainly a film that I will remember for some time. I may move it up my films of the year list more and more as the year goes on.

Rating: 8/10