What starts as the story of 16-year-old Jesse (Elle Fanning), who moves to Los Angeles.
for modeling, devolves into a high-fashion horror show.
The palette is vivid and beyond vibrant.
Credit: Gunther Campine
I grew up in the early 80s when neon became a design concept.
A lot of musicians would use it for their images.
Films were using it….Ive loved neon since I was very little.
Gunther Campine
In this case, Refn decided to make his first horror film.
[Violence] is an outlet because most sane people dont [display] violent behavior, Refn says.
But we fantasize about it, and art is an act of violence, of penetration.
And in the case ofThe Neon Demon, a disturbingly beautiful one.
Beyond the dramatic aesthetic, the film is female centric.
Theres something very interesting about making a movie about a world that I am forced into.
Not to mention, different perspectives on gender.
I think that is very arousing for a lot of men.
LikeDrive,The Neon Demonis set in Los Angeles.
Fanning thinks Los Angeles itself could be The Neon Demon.
As the film goes on, she transforms and characters transform because of her.
A version of this story appeared inEntertainment Weeklyissue #1420.
