Strong opinions abound for writer/director Nicolas Winding Refn’s work, which is to be expected when you make the kind of bold choices that he does. There’s not much middle ground when you drench things in violence and style, as people are either going to go with the heightened sensibility or not. The Neon Demon certainly won’t be changing that aspect of his M.O., but it is, at least, a step away from the violent men that have populated his films.
Yep, we’re getting violent women in Neon Demon, and it’s nice to see that Refn isn’t downplaying the capabilities of the daintier sex. Women can be just as motivated to fight and claw as men, but it remains to be seen if Neon Demon will dig past the usual ideas about seductive young ladies. Don’t get me wrong, those can make for a great film, but women have other things going on that would be interesting to explore.
What the trailer makes clear is that Refn knows how to twist the glitz and glamour of the modeling industry into a terrifying vision, with the cold glow of the neon lights making everything too stark for comfort. He’s always been rather striking with this sort of thing due to his inability to see mid-colors (you can’t direct a nuance you can’t see), so don’t expect the film to tone down the style you see in this trailer. This is still Refn, after all, so you know it will be anything but standard.
The Neon Demon is directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and stars Elle Fanning, Alessandro Nivola, and Jena Malone. It will be released in the U.S. on June 24th, 2016 and in the U.K. on July 8th, 2016. For international release dates, click here.
Are you excited for the changes Refn is bringing to his usual setup? Let us know in the comments!
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