Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, who wrote the story with Mary Laws and Polly Stenham, The Neon Demon finds Jesse moving from Georgia to Los Angeles, all of sixteen, ready to become a star. She soon takes a shoot with Dean (Karl Glusman), becomes friends with makeup artist Ruby (Jena Malone), as well as two other models, Gigi (Bella Heathcote) and Sarah (Abbey Lee). The girls soon become jealous of her, as her youth — can people tell the difference in these ages? — get her more attention than them.

Of course, Jesse is about to find out about the dirty side of modeling, whether that means being coerced into sex, pressured into cosmetic surgery or having dreams of triangles and men penetrating her mouth with a knife. Afraid after someone breaks in next door, even staying with Ruby is dangerous, as she repeatedly tries to have sex with Jesse, who reveals that she is a virgin. When she’s turned down repeatedly, Ruby goes to her job at a morgue and gets off on a corpse.

Soon, the girls shoved Jesse into a pool and stabbed her repeatedly, consuming her body. It’s not for everyone — Gigi screams, “I need to get her out of me” before slicing her stomach open — as eyeballs are puked up and eaten.

Refn has watched many of the movies you have and then some. Ruby is inspired by Alejandro Jodorowsky. a lipstick called Red Rum. Before making this, Elle Fanning was told to watch Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. A character is named Roberto Sarno. And yet this movie played Cannes, filled with grindhouse imagery. Also, It’s gorgeous. The story doesn’t matter. It just is.