Jacob's 31 Days of Halloween - Day 16: The Neon Demon
Nicolas Winding Refn definitely has a fan base, and it’s understandable why. He has a specific, dreamy style that makes him unique, and his film Drive has become a modern cult classic over this past decade. The Neon Demon is Refn’s latest film and it certainly fits the mold of the rest of his filmography.
I essentially feel the same about this film as I do Drive, which is that it’s very very pretty, but ultimately shallow (kinda like the characters in the movie). I wasn’t particularly invested in any of the characters, the dialogue’s not great, and there’s really nothing new here in terms of themes or ideas, but the cinematography, production design, makeup, and costumes are all (for the most part) astounding. I especially love the dream sequences, as they feel truly surreal and dream-like. My one issue with the cinematography is that some scenes were lit so dimly that I couldn’t even tell what was going on. There’s a few nighttime scenes that are like this, so be prepared for that.
The performances are all very good, with Keanu Reeves being my favorite because his character is so much sleazier than I’ve ever seen him play before. Elle Fanning is believable as the starry-eyed led, and Jena Malone also deserves a shoutout for getting one of the most demented scenes in the whole movie.
There’s a couple of good gross-out moments, it kept me invested the whole time, and it has the style down, I just wish it was more committed to the actual substance of the story and the characters. Still worth a watch though, especially if you like Refn’s other work.
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