The Neon Demon (France/USA/Denmark: Nicholas Refn Winding, 2016)

"Like a 21st-century Showgirls meets Suspiria, Nicolas Winding Refn’s delirious plunge into the fake plastic horror of the image-obsessed fashion industry trafficks in both high-camp excess and kaleidoscopically stylized splatter. Elle Fanning is the guileless recent L.A. transplant whose fresh-faced youth and beauty almost instantly land her a high-profile modeling contract. Whatever “it” is, she has it. And a coterie of monstrously jealous, flavor-of-last-month Hollyweird burnouts will stop at nothing to get it. Working in a supersaturated, electric day-glo palette, Braier fashions a sleek, freaky-seductive vision of L.A.’s dark side." - The Female Gaze (2018)

The Neon Demon (France/USA/Denmark: Nicholas Refn Winding, 2016: 110 mins)


Bradley, S.A. "Shut Up and Watch the Movie (Part Two)." Hellbent for Horror #44 (June 19, 2017)

Braier, Natasha. "'I'm Like a Flare Hunter': On The Neon Demon." Filmmaker (November 30, 2016)

Cassidy, Brendan and J.D. Duran. "The Neon Demon, Dr. Strangelove - Extra Film." In Session (July 1, 2016) 

Cleaver, Sarah Kathryn and Mary Wild. "Fashion Films Episode 4: Corruption & Consumption." Projections (March 6, 2019) ["Mary and Sarah discuss the darkness and destruction of American Vogue documentary The September Issue (2009) and Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon (2016)."]

Complex, Valerie. "Stanning the Ancients." Letterboxd (June 20, 2020) ["Valerie Complex probes the intersection of Greco-Roman mythology and queer experience in Portrait of a Lady on Fire, The Neon Demon, Jumbo and Midsommar."]

Fanning, Elle, et al. "Winding Refn - Elle Fanning Interview / De Palma." Filmspotting #591 (June 24, 2016)

Graham, Bill, Brian Roane and Ethan Vestby. "The Neon Demon." The Film Stage #196 (June 28, 2016)

Hancock, James. "The Neon Demon." The Wrong Reel (June 24, 2016)

Harvey, Dennis. "The Neon Demon and the Fear of Women." Keyframe (June 24, 2016)

Hudson, David. "Nicolas Winding Refn's The Neon Demon; 'Nervy feminist provocation or misogynist freakshow?'” Keyframe (May 19, 2016)

Kacprzak, Mikolaj. "The Silent Gaze." (Posted on Vimeo: September 2016)

Kermode, Mark. "The Neon Demon: Beauty as the Beast." The Guardian (July 10, 2016)

Koski, Genevieve, et al. "The Neon Demon/Suspiria, Pt. 1." The Next Picture Show #35 (July 12, 2016) ["Nicholas Winding Refn’s new THE NEON DEMON inspired us to look back at another tale of female rivalry that plays out in lurid colors and more than a little violence: Dario Argento’s classic 1977 horror movie SUSPIRIA. In this half, we explore the specific, lurid style in which Argento works, and consider how it functions as both cinema and horror. "]

---. "The Neon Demon/Suspiria, Pt. 2." The Next Picture Show #36 (July 14, 2016) ["We move our conversation of Dario Argento's 1977 film SUSPIRIA to Nicholas Winding Refn’s THE NEON DEMON, which works as a contemporary companion piece. In this half, we talk over the two films' respective uses of color, violence, and female competition."]

Leszkewicz, Anna. "Is Nicolas Winding Refn’s ultra-violent The Neon Demon brilliant, degrading, or both?" The New Statesman (July 12, 2016)

Martinez, Cliff. "Neon Demon." The Treatment (June 8, 2016) ["Cliff Martinez has strong roots in rock music, having begun his career as the drummer of Red Hot Chili Peppers. But, after reflecting on his love for the soundtrack of A Fistful of Dollars, Martinez broadened his musical scope as film composer behind scores for such films and television series as Spring Breakers, Sex, Lies and Videotape and The Knick. He joins Elvis Mitchell to discuss his personal music history and the thought process behind his latest musical work on Neon Demon."]

The Neon Demon Critics Round Up (Ongoing Archive)

"Nicolas Winding Refn." The Close-Up #90 (June 29, 2016)

Paul, Jacob. "The Current Debate: Seeing and Believing in The Neon Demon." Notebook (June 29, 2016)

Refn, Nicholas Winding. "The Neon Demon." The Cinema Show (July 8, 2016)

Stark, Clinton. "The Neon Demon: Critic wants to ban Nicolas Winding Refn’s film, protect England from 'depravity." Stark Insider (June 7, 2016)

Swinney, Jacob T. "12 Essential Women Cinematographers." Keyframe (August 10, 2016)