THE NEON DEMON sees Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn coming a cropper with a spare, stylish, thinly-plotted horror movie set in the world of modelling in Los Angeles. It's as slow-paced and stylish as his previous movies DRIVE and ONLY GOD FORGIVES, featuring a funky soundtrack, lots of powerful colour in the visuals, and scenes that go on a little while too long.
It's also over-obvious and predictable, being nothing more than a twist on an old-fashioned vampire-style story that goes back hundreds of years. For the first time in a Refn film, I found myself counting the minutes that passed, aware of a growing sense of boredom rather than unease. The film takes ages and ages just to get anywhere, and it only shocks and provokes right at the climax. Up until that point, we get stuck with Elle Fanning's bland lead, some typically bitchy supporting characters, and a whole lot of emptiness. I found it rather vapid, although tastes may vary. Refn tries too hard to make something unique and arty and instead makes something predictable and empty; for a true slice of weirdness you need to go to Europe and check out something in the style of DER FAN or SUSPIRIA instead.
It's also over-obvious and predictable, being nothing more than a twist on an old-fashioned vampire-style story that goes back hundreds of years. For the first time in a Refn film, I found myself counting the minutes that passed, aware of a growing sense of boredom rather than unease. The film takes ages and ages just to get anywhere, and it only shocks and provokes right at the climax. Up until that point, we get stuck with Elle Fanning's bland lead, some typically bitchy supporting characters, and a whole lot of emptiness. I found it rather vapid, although tastes may vary. Refn tries too hard to make something unique and arty and instead makes something predictable and empty; for a true slice of weirdness you need to go to Europe and check out something in the style of DER FAN or SUSPIRIA instead.