15 Original Upcoming Movies That Might Save Hollywood
4. The Neon Demon
Release Date: June 24
What It's About: An aspiring model, Jesse (Elle Fanning), moves to L.A. to chase her dream, but as she enters the cut-throat fashion world, she learns that others are out to get what she's naturally in possession of.
Why It Can Save Hollywood: Nicholas Winding Refn's movies (Pusher, Drive, Only God Forgives) sure aren't for everyone, but there's no questioning that he makes singular works of art that are like absolutely nothing else out there.
The film's cast is certainly intriguing, with Fanning being joined by Jena Malone, Keanu Reeves and Christina Hendricks. Early Cannes reviews have been unsurprisingly mixed, some citing it as a contemporary riff on Mulholland Drive, while others trashed it as self-indulgent and scarcely coherent.
Either way, it's a refreshing change of pace from this summer's bigger movies, and may provide some much-needed relief from all the big-budget bombast.