An aspiring model, Jesse, is new to Los Angeles. However, her beauty and youth, which generate intense fascination and jealousy within the fashion industry, may prove themselves sinister.
The sixteen year-old aspiring model Jesse arrives in Los Angeles expecting to be a successful model. The aspirant photographer Dean takes photos for her portfolio and dates her. Jesse befriends the lesbian makeup artist Ruby and then the envious models Gigi and Sarah in a party. Meanwhile, the agency considers Jesse beautiful with a "thing" that makes her different and she is sent to the professional photographer Jack. Jesse attracts the attention of the industry and experiences a successful beginning of her career. Ruby, Gigi and Sarah, however, will do whatever is necessary to get this "thing" for themselves.Written by
Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
When Dean comes to see Jesse at the motel and hands her the roses, Jesse reaches out and grabs them with her left hand but when she faints, the roses appear in her right hand. See more »
Quotes
Ruby:
Am I staring?
Jesse:
A little.
Ruby:
Sorry... you just have such beautiful skin. I'm Ruby, by the way. Do you have a name or you want me to guess?
Jesse:
Jesse.
Ruby:
Jesse. And you just got to LA, Jesse?
Jesse:
How'd you know?
Ruby:
You've got that look. Oh, don't worry, honey, that whole deer in the headlights thing is exactly what they want.
See more »
Alternate Versions
The theatrical R-rated version and unrated version are different only in the second morgue scene as follows: (A) Female genital nudity is depicted 1 hour 29 minutes and 0 seconds into the film. In the R rated version (which played in US theaters), when Ruby was kissing the corpse (played by a female actress), the bottom of the frame showed the upper half of the vulva (inclusive of somewhat blurred labia, due to the camera focus on the kissing). In the "unrated" version (NOT the theatrical version or the director's narrative - which both emulate the R rated version seen in US theaters), that same moment depicts VERY clear labial exposure (as in medical clarity, yet artistically depicted). (B) Note that the unrated version also shows Ruby's hand brush along the genitalia as it sweeps up to the left breast (R rated version prolongs the cut-away to the Jessie fantasy shot), and also depicts Ruby bouncing on the corpse as she reaches orgasm (while the R rated version shows only the close up of her face). The foley work and soundtrack during the unrated morgue scene are subtly but noticeably different. In short, the unrated cut sounds a lot more "squishy" with ample "smacking" sounds. The uncut version appears to be available through iTunes only, despite being an Amazon production,which you can find here: https://itunes.apple.com/mt/movie/the-neon-demon/id1129719992 (That means if you want to watch it on a TV you'll need an AppleTV to play it). See more »
An absolutely stunningly pretty movie, with no substance. Each shot is poised for elegance and beauty, each interaction with the main character is tense and feels ominous, with a very steady build up ultimately leading to nothing unfortunately. The ending is dissatisfying, given the build up, although it is expected through out the movie as it doesn't really feel like its trying to go anywhere in particular. Sometimes its aiming for psychological thriller, other times horror, other times pure drama. The main characters transformation is strong but doesn't really feel like horror. Missed the mark, but every second is perfect for a cool desktop background
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An absolutely stunningly pretty movie, with no substance. Each shot is poised for elegance and beauty, each interaction with the main character is tense and feels ominous, with a very steady build up ultimately leading to nothing unfortunately. The ending is dissatisfying, given the build up, although it is expected through out the movie as it doesn't really feel like its trying to go anywhere in particular. Sometimes its aiming for psychological thriller, other times horror, other times pure drama. The main characters transformation is strong but doesn't really feel like horror. Missed the mark, but every second is perfect for a cool desktop background