From the shocking opening shot of a blood soaked model, languidly supine on a luxurious sofa, it’s clear that Nicolas Winding Refn’s Neon Demon is not your run-of-the-mill summer thriller. Since he established his reputation with the Golden Globe-nominated Drive (Albert Brooks for Best Supporting Performance), the Danish director has embraced his inner provocateur. Demon is set in the glossy world of aspiring models and follows Jesse (Elle Fanning) as she takes her first auspicious steps in the cutthroat business where throwaway girls are a dime a dozen and 23 year-olds try to stave off early retirement with strategic plastic surgeries. Her Valley of the Dolls-like education in the unforgiving world of beauty takes her to photo shoots and catwalks and loft parties set to pulsating drum 'n bass and dizzying flashing lights. Her meteoric rise enrages the initially dismissive fellow models Sarah and Gigi (Abbey Lee and Bella Heathcote) and their jealousies soon take a sinister turn. We talked to the ever-luminous Elle about what is possibly her most challenging role yet.