The Neon Demon

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The Neon Demon

R

2016

1h 57m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

59%

Tomatometer

261 Reviews

51%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Jesse (Elle Fanning) moves to Los Angeles just after her 16th birthday to launch a career as a model. The head of her agency tells the innocent teen that she has the qualities to become a top star. Jesse soon faces the wrath of ruthless vixens who despise her fresh-faced beauty. On top of that, she must contend with a seedy motel manager and a creepy photographer. As Jesse starts to take the fashion world by storm, her personality changes in ways that could help her against her cutthroat rivals.

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Critics Consensus

The Neon Demon is seductively stylish, but Nicolas Winding Refn's assured eye can't quite compensate for an underdeveloped plot and thinly written characters.

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K. Austin Collins

The Ringer

08/10/2017

The Neon Demon is Refn's best movie, or at least the one that best matches his style to his subject.

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

03/21/2017

D

The photograph is stunning. But the story is a hot mess.

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Adam Nayman

Cineaste Magazine

11/08/2016

That everything is intended in bad taste is one thing; that it's all finally more bland than bitter is another.

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Sydney Lee

Horror Movie Talk

Dec 4

10/10

This film is gorgeous, and the message it conveys is something that women can all understand and relate to, regardless if you’re a model or not. It’s a deep dive on beauty standards and the predatory nature of society towards women...

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Diana Tuova

Spotlight on Film

08/02/2024

2/5

The audience may have built their hopes in the beginning, but their stoic patience is never rewarded – if anything, Refn throws at them one crazy scene after another, never sparing them any of his nonsense.

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Brendan Cassidy

InSession Film

06/18/2024

A-

This is a world that is anything but subtle, and to approach this material in any other way would have defeated the purpose.

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steven A

@steve395 Apr 3

one of the worst scripts and convoluted films of all times. the only positive was the cinematography. why would anyone finance this and why would Fanning appear in it?

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Buddy W

@BuddyW Feb 8

I like crap, but man this thing sucked. I can appreciate art-house movies (look at my review for Jack Be Nimble), but (insert curse word) did this movie suck. And the ending defies head scratching stupidity. I was actually angry that I'd wasted my time watching it.

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Inese K

@lizzygliz Jan 26

I've never hated a movie so much that it made me angry and create an account to warn people. Absolutely awful. I love artsy films- strange, make you think, etc. However, this was just pure nonsense. Limp, nonsensical 'plot', strange, uneasy and unfitting music and weak acting. I really wish I could get back these 2 hours of my life. Its left me angry and just sad.

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Roberto R

@roby500 Jan 14

Terrible acting. The movie is pure nonsense. Waste of your time.

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Tandy R.

@grandmaof22 Jan 1

Boring, weird, predictable and honestly gross.

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Kitty B

@Jalapeno-rex Dec 7

Its as if the director thinks, let's do the whole film super slow with plenty of fancy lighting, sex and gore and it will rival David Lynch or some other better director. It is annoying because of the slow pace. It has bits and pieces that are good but it meanders along not really sure of what it is or where it's going. Elle Fanning does as good a job as she can with the material she was given. This film could have been SO much better if it wasn't so preoccupied and indulgent with the visual spectacle which in my humble opinion didn't do much but drag the film's pacing well past annoying. I appreciated the exposure of just how degrading, vicious and predatory the modelling world is. The necrophilia scene was as disturbing as it was utterly unnecessary and salacious. Just blatant degradation of women and the actress who played the role. So, making a film about how the modelling industry degrades and humiliates women WHILE degrading and humiliating them is a bit rich!

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Nicolas Winding Refn

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Synopsis

Jesse (Elle Fanning) moves to Los Angeles just after her 16th birthday to launch a career as a model. The head of her agency tells the innocent teen that she has the qualities to become a top star. Jesse soon faces the wrath of ruthless vixens who despise her fresh-faced beauty. On top of that, she must contend with a seedy motel manager and a creepy photographer. As Jesse starts to take the fashion world by storm, her personality changes in ways that could help her against her cutthroat rivals.

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Producer: Lene Børglum, Sidonie Dumas, Vincent Maraval, Nicolas Winding Refn
Screenwriter: Nicolas Winding Refn, Mary Laws, Polly Stenham
Distributor: Amazon Studios, Broad Green Pictures
Production Co: Space Rocket Nation, Gaumont, Wild Bunch, Bold Films, Vendian Entertainment
Rating: R (Bloody Images|A Scene of Aberrant Sexuality|Disturbing Violent Content|Graphic Nudity|Language)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 24, 2016, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.3M
Runtime: 1h 57m
Sound Mix: Datasat, SDDS, Dolby Digital