Review: 'The Neon Demon' is an artistic parable for the Instagram generation
Secret ending? No, but the credits are interesting to watch
Running time: 117 minutes (~2 hours)
“The Neon Demon” is a horror drama about a young girl who comes to Los Angeles to be a model. She is unexpectedly successful, so much so that she earns the jealousy of those around her. It stars Elle Fanning (Jesse), Karl Glusman (Dean), Jena Malone (Ruby), Bella Heathcote (Gigi), Abbey Lee (Sarah), Desmond Harrington (Jack McCarther), Christina Hendricks, (Roberta Hoffman), Keanu Reeeves (Hank), and Alessandro Nivola (Robert Sarno). It is rated M-18.
“The Neon Demon” should really be R21, not for the intimate scenes but for the sheer goriness that ensures. But if you can look past the blood and guts (they’ll pop up in surprising places), it’s an artistic parable for the Instagram generation. Rich colours and a gorgeous cast make this a beguiling picture to watch, while the depravity and jealousy makes the story fascinating to follow, as we see just how desperate humans can be in their pursuit of perfection.
Highlights
Jesse’s vulnerability
Elle Fanning’s gentleness makes for a convincing and sympathetic protagonist who’s clearly out of her depth in the fashion world — at first, that is. She portrays this deer in the headlights look with such authenticity that it elicits your desire to protect and help her. This stark contrast to the rest of the materialistic, shallow models makes you root for her to win against all the other callous characters.
Beautifully framed and coloured shots
As befits a film about unattainable standards of beauty, each shot is carefully constructed and framed with great attention paid to the lens flares and the mise-en-scene. It results in an artistic and beautiful film, where even the imperfections of the world are wonderful to look at. In a way, the locations are just as gorgeous as the cast members themselves.
Disturbing visuals
Jesse’s hallucinations are haunting but elegant, thematic but jarring. The worst part is how they segue into real life, giving you the sensation that her world is superficial and deep at the same time. It plays into the psychological horror of Jesse’s situation, and the beautiful but eerie fantasies soon give way to reality… or do they?
Letdowns
Video-gamey, retro music
There’s lots of neon in “The Neon Demon” and the accompanying 80’s music, when neon ruled the day, accompanies such shots. While both the neon lights and MIDI-style music match, it feels anachronistic in a 2016 film, since the rest of the movie is fairly modern in its approach. Perhaps a more sophisticated remix of the soundtrack would have worked better?
Straightforward moralising
Of course a movie about the modelling world would include lessons about how beauty is only skin deep. “The Neon Demon” doesn’t frame this argument any differently, and even has key characters come right up to deliver this message. There are no unique insights to the message of the movie, which is disappointing to see.
“The Neon Demon” lives up to its name, as metaphorical as it might be.
Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Yes.
Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? No.
Score: 3.0/5
“The Neon Demon” opens in cinemas:
- 20 October, 2016 (Singapore)
“The Neon Demon” is banned in Malaysia.
Marcus Goh is a Singapore television scriptwriter. He’s also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. He Tweets/Instagrams at Optimarcus and writes atmarcusgohmarcusgoh.com. The views expressed are his own.
