Neon Demon (2016)
Dir. Nicolas Winding Refn
Runtime: 110 minutes
A fusion of genres and styles by the Danish master of contemporary cinema – Nicolas Winding Refn. The director plays with the convention and clichés of popular entertainment cinema, fusing them with arthouse elements, contemporary cinema or the aesthetics of video clips. The director, known for such titles as “Pusher”, “Bronson” and the famous “Drive” is great at juggling, for years consistently developing his own style. The plot of “Neon Demon” is based on a familiar concept – a young, pretty and naïve provincial girl goes to Hollywood, hoping to become a world-class model. It sounds banal, but Refn very effectively pulls the viewer into his game, hypnotizing us with studied images, an aura of mystery and an atmospheric soundtrack by Cliff Martinez.