The Neon Demon takes viewers into the twisted world of fashion but gets too dark for my tastes
I have seen my share of dark, peculiar films. If they are done right I find myself enjoying the message they are trying to convey. Yet many times there is too much out of place going on for most people to understand what the director is trying to say with the film they are watching. The Neon Demon is one of these films. I was able to see it earlier this week and here is my thoughts on it.
You can read The Neon Demon plot here:
When aspiring model Jesse (Elle Fanning) 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.
I enjoyed most of The Neon Demon, but the film lost me in the final scenes. For some reason the plot goes from making sense to veering in an entirely different, very odd direction. The scenes that follow went completely over my head. There is a lot that happens and it is rarely explained well. The characters take a much darker turn and for me it was too far. What follows are scenes that try too hard to cause shock and awe, with many of them lasting too long and going way too far for my tastes. The finale was odd to say the least and overall left me confused and unsatisfied with how things ended. I was excited to see Keanu Reeves was in The Neon Demon but he does nothing to help this movie out. He plays a dark character that doesn’t fit in the narrative that well. Overall it is an awful movie that most people should avoid seeing altogether.
The Neon Demon has earned 3/10. The Neon Demon could have been good, maybe even great but instead it is a film that has a difficult to read message that is sure to only disgust most people. I wanted to like it but the last 30-45 minutes were so disgusting that there were a few times I wanted to leave the theater, something that has not happened to me since Hardcore Henry. If only the film has pulled things back a bit maybe it could have been a movie worth seeing. Instead this is a movie I suggest you wait until Netflix or Redbox to see.
If you are in the mood for a dark psychological thriller this is the film to pick. People who like this director may really like this movie. For everyone else it is best to miss this one, trust me you won’t regret it. The Neon Demon comes out today. You can like The Neon Demon on Facebook and Twitter.
Watch the mysterious The Neon Demon trailer below: