“Beauty isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.”
I can speak from first-hand experience that the entertainment world is ruthless. If you’re not young enough, pretty enough, or willing to do whatever someone tells you without question, even at the cost of your own dignity, you’ll never make it big. It’s no secret that the modelling and fashion industries are the same. We’ve all heard the stories of young girls heading out to London, L.A., and Paris with dreams of becoming the next big model, only for them to get chewed up and spat out by the cruel industry, or by those they are competing against.
The Neon Demon follows Jesse (Elle Fanning), a sixteen year old orphan who following her parent’s death has run away to L.A. to become a model. She has no particular skills to speak of, nor does she have any ambition, but as she so states “I can’t sing. I can’t dance. I can’t write, no real talent. But I’m pretty, and I can make money off pretty”. She lies about her age to get jobs and shortly after arriving in L.A. she befriends makeup artist Ruby (Jena Malone) who introduces her to two other models, Gigi (Bella Heathcote) and Sarah (Abbey Lee Kershaw). Each of the three women envy Jesse’s natural beauty and innocence, and this is only exacerbated further as over the course of the film Jesse, without trying, hurts these three women wither either her natural good looks, or innocent nature. As Jesse progresses through the industry and becomes an extremely sought after model, she begins to change into something equally dangerous and desirable. Being the biggest model in L.A. will certainly put a target on you by those seeking to take what you have.
I can speak from first-hand experience that the entertainment world is ruthless. If you’re not young enough, pretty enough, or willing to do whatever someone tells you without question, even at the cost of your own dignity, you’ll never make it big. It’s no secret that the modelling and fashion industries are the same. We’ve all heard the stories of young girls heading out to London, L.A., and Paris with dreams of becoming the next big model, only for them to get chewed up and spat out by the cruel industry, or by those they are competing against.
The Neon Demon follows Jesse (Elle Fanning), a sixteen year old orphan who following her parent’s death has run away to L.A. to become a model. She has no particular skills to speak of, nor does she have any ambition, but as she so states “I can’t sing. I can’t dance. I can’t write, no real talent. But I’m pretty, and I can make money off pretty”. She lies about her age to get jobs and shortly after arriving in L.A. she befriends makeup artist Ruby (Jena Malone) who introduces her to two other models, Gigi (Bella Heathcote) and Sarah (Abbey Lee Kershaw). Each of the three women envy Jesse’s natural beauty and innocence, and this is only exacerbated further as over the course of the film Jesse, without trying, hurts these three women wither either her natural good looks, or innocent nature. As Jesse progresses through the industry and becomes an extremely sought after model, she begins to change into something equally dangerous and desirable. Being the biggest model in L.A. will certainly put a target on you by those seeking to take what you have.
The film had a relatively mixed reception from critics and audiences when it released back in 2016, but personally it’s a film I really love. I would probably classify the film as a psychological thriller as it shares a lot of similarities to Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan. There’s a lot of metaphorical imagery, ambiguity, and at times unreliability as to whether what we are watching is really happening or if it’s a fantasy inside Jesse’s mind. It’s a film you’re probably going to watch to watch a couple of times to really understand what the film is trying to say, especially because the third act gets very weird seemingly out of nowhere unless you’ve been paying very close attention to the dialogue.
Nicholas Winding Refn is one of my favourite directors because he has a way of communicating story through visuals in a way that few other directors are capable of. His films are also usually extremely vibrant and beautifully shot, primarily down to Refn’s colour blindness, but as a result he creates films that are so visually arresting it is difficult to remove the images from your mind until long after the credits have rolled. The Neon Demon is no exception, with the opening shot being the inspiration for the entire film, Jesse laying on a fancy couch in a gorgeous dress with fake blood all over her throat and arm for a photoshoot.
There’s a very heavy use of strobing light effects in The Neon Demon so epileptic viewers take note as it is quite intense, particularly during the scene where Jesse transforms from her innocent past to her dangerous future. The way this scene is shot is so gorgeous with its deep red lighting, and angled mirrors creating a kaleidoscopic effect. I’d go so far as saying The Neon Demon is one of the most beautiful films I’ve ever seen.
Nicholas Winding Refn is one of my favourite directors because he has a way of communicating story through visuals in a way that few other directors are capable of. His films are also usually extremely vibrant and beautifully shot, primarily down to Refn’s colour blindness, but as a result he creates films that are so visually arresting it is difficult to remove the images from your mind until long after the credits have rolled. The Neon Demon is no exception, with the opening shot being the inspiration for the entire film, Jesse laying on a fancy couch in a gorgeous dress with fake blood all over her throat and arm for a photoshoot.
There’s a very heavy use of strobing light effects in The Neon Demon so epileptic viewers take note as it is quite intense, particularly during the scene where Jesse transforms from her innocent past to her dangerous future. The way this scene is shot is so gorgeous with its deep red lighting, and angled mirrors creating a kaleidoscopic effect. I’d go so far as saying The Neon Demon is one of the most beautiful films I’ve ever seen.
Elle Fanning is fantastic as Jesse. For much of the first half of the film she is this sweet and innocent little girl. She’s no pushover, but she is completely out of her depth and she knows it. But she knows she’s pretty and she knows what she needs to do in order to get jobs. She’s very much a loner though, in the sense that she wants to be independent and doesn’t really like other people weighing her down. Enter Dean (Karl Glusman). Dean is a photographer who wants to make it in the fashion industry, but he also falls pretty hard for Jesse who’s having none of it. He’s also way older than her, which is addressed, but he’s probably the only character in the film that genuinely seems to care about Jesse and want to protect her from the dangers of L.A. The most immediate threat of which is the motel owner, Hank (Keanu Reeves). Hank and Jesse start to have a problem when one night Jesse returns to her room to find a lioness in there, to which Hank pins the blame on Jesse for allowing her room to be accessible to a wild animal. Hank is built up to be the villain of the film for a while and whilst there’s a scene wherein he could definitely be considered a villain, it’s up for debate as to whether this scene actually takes place in reality, or in Jesse’s head.
Meanwhile the actual villains of the film are Ruby, Sarah, and Gigi. To these three women Jesse has something they so desperately want. Ruby desires inner beauty, that granted by innocence and virginity. Sarah desires to be noticed, she’s older and has been in this business for a while, whereas Jesse is fresh and new so everybody wants her. Gigi meanwhile desires natural beauty. Her entire image has been sculpted by a plastic surgeon and so her beauty is entirely manufactured.
My favourite performance of the three of these belongs to Abbey Lee Kershaw’s Sarah. She is able to do so much without ever really saying a lot. She talks the least out of the three women but I would argue has the most dialogue. The way she uses her body language to communicate almost everything you need to know is simply incredible. When she does have spoken dialogue, it too is delivered in a way that is succinct and to the point. There’s no beating around the bush with her character and she demands attention when she’s on screen. I’d say she’s easily my favourite character and actress in the film.
Whilst it certainly won’t land with everyone, The Neon Demon is a beautiful yet deadly thriller that will not only captivate you with its psychologically disturbing story and excellent performances, but also leave you stunned at the dazzling beauty of it all. Is it pretentious? Some may say so. But I personally feel it encapsulates its subject matter masterfully in almost every aspect.
Meanwhile the actual villains of the film are Ruby, Sarah, and Gigi. To these three women Jesse has something they so desperately want. Ruby desires inner beauty, that granted by innocence and virginity. Sarah desires to be noticed, she’s older and has been in this business for a while, whereas Jesse is fresh and new so everybody wants her. Gigi meanwhile desires natural beauty. Her entire image has been sculpted by a plastic surgeon and so her beauty is entirely manufactured.
My favourite performance of the three of these belongs to Abbey Lee Kershaw’s Sarah. She is able to do so much without ever really saying a lot. She talks the least out of the three women but I would argue has the most dialogue. The way she uses her body language to communicate almost everything you need to know is simply incredible. When she does have spoken dialogue, it too is delivered in a way that is succinct and to the point. There’s no beating around the bush with her character and she demands attention when she’s on screen. I’d say she’s easily my favourite character and actress in the film.
Whilst it certainly won’t land with everyone, The Neon Demon is a beautiful yet deadly thriller that will not only captivate you with its psychologically disturbing story and excellent performances, but also leave you stunned at the dazzling beauty of it all. Is it pretentious? Some may say so. But I personally feel it encapsulates its subject matter masterfully in almost every aspect.