The Neon Demon 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

The Neon Demon 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

An excellent 4K presentation which is well worth adding to one's collection

The Neon Demon is a visually stunning cinematic whirlwind which demonstrates the high creativity of acclaimed filmmaker Nicholas Winding Refn. Starring Elle Fanning and featuring a supporting cast which includes Christina Hendricks and Keanu Reeves, The Neon Demon is almost like a neo-noir horror film for today’s younger generation.

Fanning stars as a up and coming model who is progressing in the fashion world with a quick ascension to a surreal level of fame and success. Adored by some in the industry and reviled by others (as some of her fellow models are jealous of her lightning ascension to success), the film has a nightmarish descent into madness as the story becomes increasingly chaotic and disturbing. Featuring first-rate direction and a surreal score by Cliff Martinez, The Neon Demon is a engaging experience that shouldn’t go overlooked.

A hyper-stylized horror gem from master filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn

For more information on The Neon Demon and a full film review please refer to colleague Stephen Larson's review of the film.

The Neon Demon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on 4K UHD with a pristine 2160p 4K resolution presentation, The Neon Demon is a prime showcase for the visual aesthetic of filmmaker Refn (Drive). This is a top-notch 4K release from a resolution standpoint. Every single frame showcases a stunning degree of clarity and detail that far exceeds that of a standard 1080p presentation.

The image continuously pops with an amazing degree of fine detail and every aspect of the presentation feels absolutely surreal with the amazing aesthetic of the presentation. Though this release is presented without HDR the image is still stunning from beginning to end. Colors are as impressive as what one will find on the standard high-definition 1080p presentation of the film and the neon-infused style of the cinematography is downright amazing. This film is a great example of how much a filmmaker's creative use of cinematography can help to enhance a filmmakers vision and the rich use of the bright, deep, and creative color tones highlighted in the film enhance every scene. This highly-stylized genre experience is one which has received an excellent 4K transfer that will greatly satisfy viewers, even without the inclusion of high dynamic range.

Please Note: The included 4K UHD disc is region free and playable worldwide. All of the supplemental features produced for this release are included on the 4K disc. The included Blu-ray release is Region B locked and must be played back in compatible players.

The Neon Demon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a boisterous 24 bit high-resolution 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio presentation. This is a top-notch lossless audio sound mix which is every bit as show-stopping as one would hope to find for a Refn feature. The excellent music score composed by Cliff Martinez sounds absolutely incredible here and pulsates with its electronic soundscape from scene to scene.

Although this 4K release does not come equipped with an upgraded Atmos object-based or DTS-X soundtrack (and will sound no different from the standard Blu-ray sound presentation), the sound mix created for The Neon Demon is truly outstanding and needs to be heard to be believed: the sonic quality is downright invigorating with an almost unreal amount of bass and deep, clear highs. The high quality of the audio is the perfect match for the film. An outstanding audio experience not to be overlooked.

For more thoughts on the audio presentation, please read additional details from my colleague Stephen Larson's review.

The Neon Demon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The good news is this release provides fans of The Neon Demon with more than just an upgrade visual experience. There are also several supplemental features exclusive to this release. All of the extras can be viewed on the included region-free 4K disc. The included German subtitles are optional and can be switched off. This 4K edition has the following new supplemental features:

Interview with Director Nicolas Winding Refn (HD, 34 min. 28 sec.) is a fascinating discussion with the filmmaker who brought this visionary hyper-stylized film to the world. The filmmaker delves into discussing his original concept for creating The Neon Demon and why he felt he needed to tell a story exploring society's obsession with beauty as a horror story. There are some deep analytical thoughts delved into from Refn about the film's conceptual ideas.

Refn explores the way in which he approached bringing the unique story to life. For any film enthusiast who considers themselves a fan of the auteur filmmaker, this is a must-see featurette which provides viewers with a significant amount of insight into the director's unique artistic vision and creative approach. A must-see feature.

Nicolas Winding Refn: Storytellers (HD, 22 min. 44 sec.) is a sit-down discussion hosted for Sky News. Unfortunately, the interview piece does not have subtitles for the host and Refn is dubbed over with German voice-over and it makes it too difficult to really follow what the filmmaker is saying about the film. Unless you can understand German there's not much to delve into. Not an English friendly extra.

Interview with Composer Cliff Martinez (HD, 23 min. 53 sec.) is an absorbing sit-down discussion featuring frequent Refn collaborator Martinez as he discusses his process working with the filmmaker on The Neon Demon and his approach to scoring. He also provides some thoughts on his collaborative efforts with Soderbergh. As a massive film score enthusiast, I found this interview to be an entertaining an enlightening piece with much insight into Cliff Martinez's creative process. The Neon Demon has a hypnotic electronic-infused score and with this featurette one can understand why with the composers insightful exploration of his work.

AM Set (HD, 4 min.) is a short behind the scenes featurette which features some additional thoughts on the filming from Refn while on-the-set.

Introduction by filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn (HD, 1 min.) plays before the film presentation begins.

Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1 min. 39 sec.) is presented with two separate video playback options: original English and German dubbed.

Teaser Trailer (HD, :33 sec.) is presented with two separate video playback options: original English and German dubbed.

Image Gallery (HD, 5 min. 2 sec.) featuring "Waving Goodbye" by Sia and select music from the score by Cliff Martinez accompanying a selection of high-resolution stills from on the set of the production.

The following supplemental feature is also included (as found on the US Blu-ray edition of the film):

Audio Commentary featuring Director Nicolas Winding Refn and Actress Elle Fanning

For more thoughts on the audio commentary track, please refer to Stephen Larson's review.

The Neon Demon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Neon Demon is a hypnotic and surreal experience which is a prime example of why filmmaker Refn is such a gifted director. Fans of the filmmaker's other hyper-stylized films (most especially his masterpiece Drive or the underrated Only God Forgives) will find this to be another standout film. The lead performance by actress Elle Fanning is terrific and she helps to carry the story with her fine acting.

The 4K UHD release provides viewers with a high quality presentation of the film which is sure to please viewers as the best release available on home media. Although the 4K release does not include HDR, the image still sparkles with the added clarity and detail inherent in the 4K resolution image. The encode has a healthy, high bit-rate and is matched with a great lossless audio mix which is a pulse-pounding audio experience which capably reproduces the score by Martinez. There are some great supplemental features included which are exclusive to the German edition and as all of these absorbing extras can be found on the region-free 4K disc it makes this release an easy recommendation to fans all across the world.

Fans of the film who are 4K equipped would do well to add this excellent edition to their collection. As the tag-line to the film reads: "Beauty isn't everything. It's the only thing." and the same can be said for the 4K release. For those expecting the absolute best quality for the film presentation this is a must-see release.