Only a film which is very sure of itself would set one of its climactic scenes against a backdrop of wallpaper dominated by swastikas. Such audaciousness is typical of Nicolas Winding Refn who, with the startling Neon Demon, confirms he is now mainstream cinema’s most adroit director of films rooted in shock traditions stretching back to the Sixties. There are no laboured, knowing winks or clunky, long-winded exercises in genre recreation. Instead, Winding Refn hurtles pell-mell into his tale with nary a look back over his shoulder.
The Neon Demon is as fantastic as its predecessor Only God Forgives. On the surface, it telegraphs itself as a story of how the big city corrupts. Sixteen-year-old would-be model Jesse (Elle Fanning) arrives in Los Angeles to make it as a model, and does so. In the process, she blooms into a grade-A narcissist. It’s not that simple, though: she is the neon demon and, as such, knowingly casts a spell over those she encounters. Her beauty fascinates. She moves inexorably along her chosen path and the stages of her progression are charted one by one. The chance meeting with a trio treading the line between being a coven and a confederacy of female vampires is her undoing, however.
The juxtaposition between near-silent scenes and the gripping score is thrillingWhile the story and Winding Refn’s execution of this sometimes comedic fantasia are gripping enough, the nods to film history never overshadow the film itself. A chase sequence echoes Dario Argento’s Suspiria. Val Lewton’s original Cat People is in there. So are the Countess Báthory segment of Walerian Borowczyk's Immoral Tales, Polanski’s Repulsion, Mario Bava’s Blood and Black Lace, Héctor Babenco’s Kiss of the Spider Woman and general nods to Jean Rollin. There is also a thrilling juxtaposition between near-silent scenes and Cliff Martinez’s gripping score, as well symbolism drawn from Aleister Crowley. Though head-spinning, The Neon Demon is neither confusing nor a sensory overload.
This delightful film looks extraordinary on Blu-ray, with the contrast between the recurring colour motifs especially striking. The extras include a stills gallery, the trailer and two trifling promo-style shorts, none of which are too thrilling. However, the commentary really adds value. Winding Refn and Fanning watch the film, discuss it and question each other. It is frequently funny and the dynamic between them is clear. Get this: it’s one of 2016’s best films.
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