Movielogr
The Neon Demon (2016)
Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
Twitter Facebook Google+Most recently watched by schofizzy, sleestakk
Overview
When aspiring model Jesse moves to Los Angeles, her youth and vitality are devoured by a group of beauty-obsessed women who will take any means necessary to get what she has.
Rated R | Length 118 minutes
Actors
Elle Fanning | Karl Glusman | Jena Malone | Bella Heathcote | Abbey Lee | Desmond Harrington | Keanu Reeves | Christina Hendricks | Alessandro Nivola | Charles Baker | Jamie Clayton | Stacey Danger | Rebecca Dayan | Helen Wilson | Houda Shretah | Taylor Marie Hill | Vanessa Martinez | Jason Schneidman | Rachel Dik | Jodie Turner-Smith | Lily Moffett | Charlize Cotton | Allie Lewis | Cody Renee Cameron | Georgia Fowler | Dani Seitz | Steve Murillo | Alysse Reynolds | Autumn Alderson | Lucy Cronkite | Tea Jovanovic Raza | Jennifer Wade | Olga Chaplinskaya | Elle Drane | Frances Parsons | Aminata Mboup | Claire Eberle | Anna Gonzalez | Lauren Adams | Bridgham Leigh | Nicole Robinson | Jaydn Meier | Lunden Lisherness | Keira Smith | Lavinia Postolache | Madeleine Woolner
Viewing History (seen 1 time)
| Date Viewed | Device | Format | Source | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06/26/2016 | Movie Screen | Digital | Theater | 7.5 stars |
| (Average) 7.5 stars |
Viewing Notes
Because the timing worked out, we went straight from THE SHALLOWS to see this 15 minutes later. I think I’ll enjoy this more on second viewing at home; it was hard to switch gears from the pragmatic story driven SHALLOWS to the seeming style-over-substance of NEON DEMON.
It you simply accept it as presented it feels shallow and facile with not much (new) to say on the subject. In part, I feel like that’s the point: it is the very thing it criticizes (glorifies perhaps?). It’s all style over substance and yet the style becomes the substance to an extent. There’s plenty of symbolism to dissect as well: triangle as rebirth and female power; the eye (quite literally) representing the eye of the beholder; and more.
Yeah, I’ll definitely watch this again when it hits video and I’ll probably enjoy it more.
Gavin made the comparison with STARRY EYES, which is pretty spot on, though, as he said, NEON DEMON was better (if only because it wasn’t quite so direct in its approach possibly, though by the end that’s questionable).
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