The Neon Demon Brainstorming Model by Shanelle Pryce

Step 1: The Neon Demon

shanellepryce — 2025-08-09 01:56:31 UTC

A movie released in 2016, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn.
Genre: Horror/Psychological Thriller
Follows an aspiring young model Jesse as she moves to Los Angeles, where her beauty draws admiration, jealousy, and violence.

Themes I notice in this movie:

Narcissism/Objectification of Women
Exploitation of Fashion/Beauty industry
Female rivalry and desire
Consumption (literal and figurative)

Narcissism/Objectification of Women

shanellepryce — 2025-08-09 02:47:51 UTC

I noticed that Jesse becomes increasingly obsessive with her beauty as she constantly looks in the mirror. The reflections of appearance over personality brings narcissism to one’s mind as of being superior.

The film critiques how beauty becomes a trap- once Jesse sees herself as “the sun,” she loses her humanity. Does Jesse gain power through her beauty, or does she become a victim of it?

How does the film critique the way media encourages women to see themselves as objects?

Exploitation of Fashion/Beauty industry

shanellepryce — 2025-08-09 03:04:50 UTC

I noticed that Jesse enters the industry as a young and innocent outsider. She’s quickly surrounded by older models who’ve been shaped and damaged by the system. What role does age play in the industry’s treatment of models?

The industry is shown as seductive but dangerous—glamour masks exploitation. The casting scenes, photo shoots, and parties all have an unsettling but dreamlike tone. How does the tone amplify the critique of beauty as a commodity?

Female Rivalry and Desire

shanellepryce — 2025-08-09 03:24:58 UTC

I noticed that the other models like Gigi and Sarah are both drawn to Jesse’s beauty, but their admiration quickly turns into envy and violence. Are the women rivals because of personal insecurity or systemic pressure?

The film blurs the line between desire and destruction. Jesse is consumed by the women who desire her, but they sacrifice their own reality to become the world’s validation. How does the film use internalized misogyny to show the way women are taught to compete rather than connect?

Consumption (Literal and Figurative)

shanellepryce — 2025-08-09 03:54:52 UTC

Jesse is literally consumed as her blood and body are used in a ritual by Gigi and Sarah to reclaim youth and beauty. Jesse’s body becomes a fetishized object, valued only for its surface. Is Jesse’s image symbolic of how industries erase individuality in favor of image?

The film shows consumption as a metaphor for how industries devour youth, beauty, and innocence to sustain their image. What does the film suggest about the cost of being desired in a media-saturated world?

Interpretive Problem Question

shanellepryce — 2025-08-09 03:57:37 UTC

The Neon Demon takes place in a hyper-stylized, surreal version of the Los Angeles fashion industry, blurring the line between reality and nightmare. How does the film’s portrayal of mirrors, self-reflection, and beauty rituals invite a deeper analysis of narcissism and the objectification of women? What does this reveal about the psychological consequences of media-driven identity in fashion culture?