By

The Neon Demon

Love it or hate it; you won’t forget it

Loved Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive.  Hated Only God Forgives. So was just gradually warming up to his sweetly unsavory, style-devours-substance take on the old ingénue-in-Hollywood scenario. I was enjoying his imagery, colors, textures and propelling score. Then we started with the lesbian necrophilia and the cannibalism, the tension evaporated, and it all went off the rails. A mesmerizing, perfectly cast Elle Fanning supplies what substance this provocative but empty film has. A sharp-edged attack on our idea of 21st century commercial beauty, or booed-at-Cannes, corrosive garbage? You decide. (118 min)