Review: The Themes of ‘The Neon Demon:’ the Dangers of Being Female

Written and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, “The Neon Demon” is about a young, vulnerable small town girl without parents to look out for her, and transformation. The girl, Jesse, moves out to Los Angeles to become a model. As she gets her start in the fashion industry, her beauty and youth make her the target of both the male and female gaze. “The Neon Demon” stars Elle Fanning, Jenna Malone, Bella Heathcote, Abbey Lee, and Karl Glusman. The film explores themes such as the male gaze, the danger of Los Angeles, and the corruption of beauty.

In the opening scene, we first see Jesse modeling as a young man, the photographer, leers at her. It instantly sets the tone. There is a terrifying sinister nature to the gaze of every man who sees Jesse. They see her adolescence and her allure. We are left fearing for her safety as an unsolicited male gaze is rarely non-threatening. The entire run time, men are sources of potential danger and generate a constant anxiety in the viewer. 

The scariest of all is Hank, the motel owner played by Keanu Reeves. He is an offending pedophile who uses his motel to prey on the unsupervised children who stay there. Its reality is what makes it terrifying. This is the main source of horror in the film. I don’t know how men register the film but as a woman, I feel a constant anxiety throughout the run-time, because I see the way they look at a naive, unaccompanied sixteen-year-old girl. In my mind, the looks given in the film accompany the looks I see in real life. It taps into something primal. It makes us want to protect her. That’s where Ruby comes in.

When Ruby, Jena Malone’s character, first meets Jesse, she too is caught gazing at Jesse, but we do not register that as danger but as quite the opposite. We see Ruby as safety because other women often are. Ruby correctly guesses that Jesse is new in town and tells her not to worry because the “deer in headlights” look is exactly what they want. A vulnerable young girl is exactly what they want. Immediately, we see the carnivorous nature of the industry. Ruby is the character that the audience feels they can put their trust in. She offers Jesse her number and tells her to call if she needs anything. She tries to not to leave Jesse alone with men she doesn’t trust. She sees Jesse’s helplessness and she knows people will want to prey on her. We feel grateful toward Ruby.

Early in the film Ruby asks Jesse if she is food or if she’s sex. Truly she is asking if she is to be devoured or if she is to conquer. If she is one to dominate or be dominated. Jesse doesn’t answer but Gigi (Bella Heathcote) does, stating that she’s dessert because she is so sweet. On the surface level, it seems like a kind compliment but truly it suggests something sinister. Gigi believes Jesse will be eaten by the fashion industry and spat back out. The film touches on the complexities and nuances of surface-level female relationships without devolving into the immature “women are catty” type storylines.

At one point in the film, a cougar jumps into Jesse’s room, terrifying her. The cougar represents the allure of Los Angeles and the industries within it. The cougar is beautiful, sleek, striking; drawing people towards it despite it’s well-known danger. The industries that flourish in Los Angeles are known for being predatory and destroying people within, yet the pull is too strong. Millions dream of moving to Los Angeles to model or act, Jesse one of them. We watch to see if she will become a part of the cougar or be eaten by it. Food or sex?

“The Neon Demon” is a perfect conversation piece. The film entices. The film excites. The film provokes. The film is sex.