I do not love all the directorial works of Nicolas Winding Refn, but his most recent movies are amazing. I never heard of the guy until I was at this film event called Empire Big Screen in London. Nicolas Winding Refn was there, to speak about his new movie Drive, and he told so many cool things that I was instantly impressed by the movie. Not just because of Ryan Gosling people, also because of the elevator scene, and the way the relationship between them is nice, quiet and mysterious, loved it.

Nicolas Winding Refn definitely has the same taste when it comes to guys, cause one of his director gigs was Bronson, for which he casted Tom Hardy, aka one of the hottest guys on the planet. I did not see the movie yet, bad me, but I did see the flick that came right after: Valhalla Rising. I hated it, it was way too middle ages and raw for me. But Drive had a bit more glamour, a bit more slickness and a super dope soundtrack, and it was just amazing.

Only God Forgives kinda did a few of the same tricks of Drive, and even though it was cool, it was not as impressive as Drive. The Neon Demon however, that is definitely up the same alley as Drive, if that is good use of the English language. It is superweird, the movie starts as this beautiful critique on the fashion/modeling world, but then it turns into this nightmarish weird blur. I really loved it, especially because the movie plays with your take on what is rough and real, and what is fake and dreamy in very interesting ways.

I was a bit annoyed by the crowd in the cinema though, as they were constantly laughing in the beginning of the movie. I guess the guys (sorry, there were only like 3 girls and 30 guys there) did not quite get how what the models said and how they said it, was actually the total truth. It was not a crazy over the top way of showing how that world works. Maybe not all is said out loud, but the way they think, that is definitely accurate. It is a very weird world, with a lot of creepy guys behind their cameras and a lot of way too young girls getting their dreams and their dignity crushed. I am sorry to be so negative, but I just want to stress how this is such a real thing. Not everywhere, but there are definitely places that are just like this Neon Demon..

I was especially impressed by how NWR seemed to know what girls might think. Especially the part where one of the bitchy models starts talking about how our gorgeous Elle Fanning is looked up and down at every party she will go to, and girls will be thinking: who is she fucking with, and is she doing better than I do? I mean, I am not saying that is always what goes on in the minds of people, but to some extent, that is definitely the bottom line.

Some of the things in the movie that are obviously there as some kind of foreshadowing or signs, I still have a hard time placing in context, but most of it is pretty out there. Again the movie is accompanied by hard beats that I love, and the whole atmosphere of Neon Demon is simply done so well, you really get swept away by Elle Fannings beauty, though her deer in the headlights thing does get a little bit annoying at some point (which thankfully is a turning point for her character).

The funny thing is that my colleague was like; ooh I want to see that movie, should I? And I said: “I am not sure what to tell you, I am not sure what you will think of me if I recommend this one.” Hihi, there is some pretty messed up stuff happening in Neon Demon, but it’s up to you to find out what 😉