The Neon Demon
8 out of 10
Nicolas Winding Refn's latest film The Neon Demon is absolutely mesmerizing in its visuals, earning himself the title of "visionary director". While it is undoubtedly a success on a visual level, the film features a relatively thin script with flimsy characters and incredibly disturbing content. While its stylized visuals may make the film feel inaccessible to the average filmgoer, further reflection will reveal the movie, much like the industry it examines, to be unquestionably gorgeous but incredibly vapid. Surprisingly, the film's third act is its strongest but veers sharply into dark and disturbing territory, featuring what the MPAA describes as "aberrant sexuality" and violent content that warrants a word far stronger than "disturbing". While I left the theater miserable and feeling physically ill, the movie has yet to exit my mind and I'm am sure I will be seeing again in the coming days.
