I'm part of enough movie communities both online and in real life that I hardly ever go into a movie blind. It was no different with Nicolas Winding Refn's latest film, "The Neon Demon." I'd been prepared for the film's dark themes and often disturbing content, so I braced myself as soon as I walked into the theater. It was so clearly my aesthetic, but could I handle the content?
In the end, it wasn't as awful as some people had made it out to be. Yes, parts of it were very dark and not for the faint of heart, but at its core, "The Neon Demon" is about the shocking visuals and pounding, quasi-techno soundtrack. Those who are up for a wild ride will thoroughly enjoy this bright, absurdist film.
The true question that "The Neon Demon" begs, however, is not whether it's good or bad, but whether it takes some of its themes a little too far. At the risk of giving away some of the plot, I'll just mention the basics of where Refn's film pushes the boundaries.
In a film about the dark underbelly of the modeling world, there are incidents of rape, necrophilia, and cannibalism. The fact that the film centers around a 16 year-old girl who is often preyed upon by older and more powerful characters, particularly men, it can be uncomfortable when these themes don't often contribute to the plot as a whole.
So, does that mean that Refn took his film too far? That "The Neon Demon" could have existed without these things? I'm sure that most of them could have been worked out of it, yes. Refn is known for being very over the top in his other films like "Drive" and "Bronson." This is detracting from "The Neon Demon" as far as reviews go, generally being called unbalanced with a slow start and an ending that goes too far.
Personally, I believe that there are few things in movies that go 'too far.' To me, deciding whether you should see a movie is more about personal taste–if you can't handle a movie whose plot is very dark and sometimes quite uncomfortable and relies mostly on its more technical aspects such as blindingly colorful visuals, "The Neon Demon" isn't for you. For reasons like this, I believe it's important to know what you're going into, even if only slightly. Movies are more enjoyable if you don't end up in one that is going to be awkward and uncomfortable for you, so do a little research! It will make theater-going much better.
So get out and see a movie! Perhaps not "The Neon Demon" as it's not for everyone, but some movie of your choosing. It's summertime. There's nothing better to do than enjoy a good ol' movie.
