Fresh Trends in Advertising and Marketing to Notice: Edition Two.

May 30, 2019June 5, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

Molson Coors Finds Purpose in Reducing Carbon Footprint.

Without Barley, there’s no beer. This is why Molson Coors, one of the world’s biggest beer producers, is taking the initiative to help barley growers create more sustainable agricultural practices.
Buying hundreds of thousands of tons annually, they are taking action by installing weather stations and soil moisture probes across farms in Montana, Idaho, and Colorado. This is to help farmers understand the weather impact on their crop conditions. Barley is a sensitive crop needing the right amount of heat and water. Otherwise, the quality will be poor, or there will be no barley at all, which means no beer. Molson Coors is creating this sustainability through their partnerships with The Nature Conservancy, and Showcase Barley Valley to explore more sustainable practices.

Molson Coors financially incentivizes to pay their farmers more to align with their growing practices. This program will continually help improve on several sustainability areas to reduce carbon footprint.

Bretton Putter, CEO of Culture Gene, Elaborates on the Importance of Brand Purpose.

Culture-driven leaders know that profit purpose business is dying and everyone is missing it. Bretton Putter, CEO of Culture Gene, a company culture consultancy agency, says that purpose matters and here’s why. Companies who have a purpose give their employees meaning in their line of work. Making impactful goals for your employees brings overall better satisfaction in the workplace. The conversation about living a meaningful life and doing good for others is a rising issue that is here to stay. Hence why businesses need to find their purpose to create good. Studies have shown there is a push toward purpose-driven brands, and for companies to get it right. For example, Fortune 100’s Best Companies reported that 85% of people surveyed find their work has special meaning. Research has also shown that employees who found work meaningful are 69% less likely to quit their job within six months. Moreover, companies struggle to answer the “purpose” question, and this needs to change to keep up with the times, not only for consumers but for employees as well.

63% of Consumers Prefer to Purchase from Purpose-Driven Brands.

Close to two-thirds of global consumers who were surveyed say they prefer to purchase brands that align with their values. They would instead buy a brand that stands for a purpose, reflecting their beliefs and will avoid companies that don’t, according to Accenture Research. These same people believe protesting and boycotting brands can make a difference in company behavior. The demand for brand purpose is a rising issue for marketers today, a hot topic trend that will unlikely cool off. Historically, companies have been avoiding societal issues, whereas leaders in today’s industries are starting to speak up to give their brand a purpose. Nike, Gillette, and Dove are just a few to name when it comes to speaking out to rebrand for a purpose. Each of their messages has been met with positive or adverse reactions. The mixed responses have resulted in higher product sales or a loss of loyal customers. Either way, brands that boldly speak out on societal topics may be the future of giving brands a purpose.

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

Fresh Trends in Advertising and Marketing to Notice: Edition One.

May 30, 2019June 5, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

CRACKING THE CODE OF BUYER PERSONA

Consumer behavior has become even more prominent. Marketers have tendencies to overlook simple questions. Forum for the Future, a global sustainability non-profit focuses on answering these questions to create social impact. We live in an ever-changing world of marketing, and it’s vital that we understand our buyer’s persona. Purpose-driven brands such as Nike are hacking persona-based marketing tactics, a trending philosophy that has made a resurgence. So, what can we learn from them?

NIKE TAKES ACTION TO DESIGN A BETTER WORLD

Taking on a new responsibility, Nike has created an initiative to guide the future of design with its new social venture, Circularity. This new open-source design guide was created for designers across the apparel industry with a common language for designing products geared towards social good for the environment.

Nike’s design team believes that design can change the world. They are on track to strengthen sustainable material palettes without constraints, further creating change.

Overall, the concept of Circularity is to open-source it for collaboration.

They are currently executing this tactic with the creation of an app called MAKING, a platform for consumers and designers to collaborate.

MAKING was created as a convenient tool that evaluates materials from the basis of environmental impact areas. These include waste, energy, water, and chemistry. With the information provided, designers can make products that will help the world’s environment.

FORUM FOR THE FUTURE’S DEVELOPING COLLABORATION PROCESS

For over 20 years, Forum of the Future has been working in partnership with brands to accelerate the shift toward a sustainable future.

“What is the problem, and how are we going to solve it?” An adage that has been around forever and overlooked, FOF addresses this question to develop purpose-driven brands. Their goal is to sway consumers to purchase sustainable products.

Dr. Sally Uren, CEO of FOF, believes the challenge to collaboration is the difference between vision and action. Their purpose is to bridge the gap by building a collaboration process.

FOF finds its successes by promoting honest conversations with clear boundaries to create an active collaborating effort to solve the business problem. To be effective, highlighting the necessity of each organization is imperative.

By enabling a safe space where value creation can be discussed, this method is the first step for participants to begin the collaboration process in a private setting. The motivating factor is the result because it creates recognition of individual roles. The process brings key brands and individuals to the table. They are calling out roles, position, and influence bringing power to participants that will connect brands to consumers.

Dr. Uren points out that no one asked Apple to create smartphones. But, Steve Jobs had the vision to make the world a more accessible place. The difference between Apple and most brands is that Apple takes action with their vision through imagination.

There is a lack of imagination that counteracts the collaboration process. Apple’s vision helped create a straight path for more consumer benefit, and that is what FOF is implementing for other brands.

Practicing FOF’s collaboration process over time will enable sustainable purpose-driven brands to thrive under their developing method of collaboration.

Dr. Uren believes that pioneering the collaboration process; consumers will begin to purchase alternative sustainable products. But, no product is the same, and it only starts by asking the right questions.

APPLYING BUYER PERSONA TACTICS

One method doesn’t fit all. Brands need to know and connect with their consumers. Nike is already executing on its mission with its Circularity initiative with MAKING. FOF, on the other hand, has begun to apply some of these methods.

For FOF to head in the right direction, they need to apply the correct buyer persona tactics effectively. Understanding consumer behavior and using the proper strategy will be difficult, but it is crucial they find a way to execute through taking action at their crossroads with their vision.

FOF needs to apply these three buyer persona questions to their collaborative discussions:

What is the first thing my customer thinks about in the morning?

What is the last thing my customer thinks about at night?

Why?

And they need to do it for different demographics to improve their wide variety of purpose-driven brands.

Each client has a different demographic that needs to be addressed in FOF’s collaborative process through the four perspectives of the buyer persona. These include competitive, spontaneous, humanistic, and methodological personas.

FOF has the challenge of applying the right persona to each brand they work with, whereas Nike needs to focus on the humanistic buyer persona.

Humanistic buyers are drawn to emotion, needing more information than spontaneous and methodical buyers. The humanistic buyers can become loyal and repeat customers when marketed to correctly.

Nike and Apple know how to crack the code of buyer persona tactics and understand the importance of social good for their chosen consumer. For FOF to be successful with their innovative collaboration process, they need to apply buyer persona tactics effectively with their clients.

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

Why You Need to Watch “Dream House.”

May 30, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

If you are a fan of Daniel Craig as James Bond, then you will know why he was a great Bond. Dream House is a film where he plays a father who could possibly be the “amnesiac James Bond” version of Father’s in the world. It is actually quite remarkable to see him play a different version of James Bond. After all, acting is all about being honest about who you truly are, and he plays the film’s protagonist very true to himself.

The logline states:

“Abandoning high-stress Manhattan, Will moves to a quiet New England town but learns that his new home was the site of several brutal murders.”

Dream House is a psychological thriller that will confuse the hell out of you until the second plot point in the film, where everything will make sense. That is why I am recommending this film because most psychological thrillers expose their purpose from plot point one versus plot point two. I don’t see this story structure very often in this genre because if all the confusion leading up to plot point two does not make sense, then the film will not work. What makes this strategy effective is that there are subtle clues that help you put the pieces of the puzzle together until the very final moment where the movie screams what the answer is to the equation; changing the entire dynamic of the film.

Plot points are very conducive to the storyline of every film. In this movie, the first plot point is in the logline; Will discovers that the house he moved his family into was the site of several brutal murders and the murderer has returned to kill his family. Conventional storytelling formulas would tell us that the audience needs to see this immediately as the story begins rather than having that as the first plot point. Instead, we need to care about the protagonist of the film, and that is why the first 20 minutes of the film exposes the audience to who Will is as a person, making him likable and relatable. This is done to make plot point two more effective. When the film’s plot twist hits us, the audience really empathizes with the fear, pain, and agony that Will has to face. Can Will accept the truth, or will he live the rest of his life in denial? If that doesn’t happen, then the audience will not care about Will or anything that happens in the movie. The audience won’t be cheering for him to succeed in the end. This is all because I have countlessly seen what occurs in plot point two of this film, happen in plot point one in most psychological thrillers. So, this makes the film drives like a car that drives typically 60 miles per hour to 200 miles per hour real quick once the second plot point kicks in. Most psychological thrillers go from 40 miles per hour to 180 from plot point one all the way to the end of the film.

Trust me the amp up from Dream House is a huge rush. It is definitely something that you need to experience.

If you want to go for a thrill ride, along with a mega plot twist this Friday night, then get a group of people together and watch this film. It is a great time, and more importantly, no alcohol is required to make this movie more enjoyable. Plus, it’s Daniel Craig playing an “amnesiac James Bond Daddy” character.

What more can you ask for?

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

Why You Need to Watch “A Stand Up Guy.”

May 30, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

There is nothing that I absolutely love more than culture shock. A person who is one hundred percent out of their comfort zone, just struggling to survive. But, what I love more than that is how people can make the best of their unfruitful situation. A Stand Up Guy teaches us that no matter how bad life can get, you absolutely need to make the best of what is in front of you. This is a comedy worth watching because this is a Mafia gangster film like you have never seen before.

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The logline states:

“When his outrageous open-mic standup comedy routine goes viral, low-rent mobster-in-hiding Sammy gets a lot of attention he seriously doesn’t want.”

Sammy Lagucci is a wise guy- loveable loser who has the dilemma that most mobsters have; keep your mouth shut or be a “rat.” The reason why he chooses to be a “rat” and enter the FBI Witness Protection Program is because of the love that he has for his daughter. This dimension of his character helps the audience connect with Sammy. Without the emphasis on his concern for his daughter’s safety, Sammy would be just another loud mouth, a wise guy that we have seen time and time again. I mean, who wants to leave Brooklyn and go live in the middle of the boonies in Wisconsin?

The best part of this film is the clash of cultures, Italian mobster meets small-town Wisconsin folk. Slicked backed hair, 800 dollar suits, and fancy lunch meats meet plaid, honky tonks, motorcycles and midwestern accents. Sammy and his new found situation are as different as night and day. They go together like water and oil, which makes for a hilarious combination for wonderful laughs. The dynamic of the film is quite intriguing because it is fascinating to see how these small town people react to such a “big town” personality.

What I loved about Sammy Lagucci was how he didn’t try to fit in with the people in his new environment. He stayed true to himself being the fish out of water that he is. Through stand-up comedy, he found his niche in a small town. This guy went from running with the Mafia to running with a Hells Angel’s type of gang. It just goes to show that no matter how different you are, you can fit in just about anywhere just as long as you continue to be yourself. Sammy teaches the audience that it is okay to be yourself because who cares if people think that you are weird; what is being normal anyway?

Side note: There is a fantastic cameo appearance in this film. Once you identify who this actor is, you will fall out of your seat, laughing. Trust me. If it happened to me, then it can happen to you.

Being different is impressive, and this film shows us how “distinction” is a powerful notion. When Sammy becomes recognized for his comedic talents, he decides to quit because he knows that his former fellow Goodfellas will be able to wack him so that he can’t testify. But do you know what happens? The people of the town speak up and tell him how important his comedy and his dynamic personality has positively influenced their lives. How remarkable is that?

A Stand Up Guy is genuinely an entertaining film full of laughs that will teach you to stay true to yourself and to make the best of every situation in life. Just remember, your unique self will always have a huge impact on someone else.

So, why be anyone but yourself?

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

Why You Need to Watch “Hardball.”

May 30, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

Films are like wine if made the right way they get better with time. I remember when I was young seeing Hardball when it first came out in theaters, and as an eight-year-old, I just didn’t appreciate it. Critics and the general audience didn’t even like it. Then I saw it when I was 16, and it began to grow on me. I was enamored with Keanu Reeves’ monologue to the kids about how “showing up” is one of the most essential things in life. That brings me to today as I saw it for the third time in my life, realizing that this film can now be used as a tool to motivate people to give back to their communities.

Movies can flourish over a long period.
For example, there is a young Michael B. Jordan (Creed, Fruitvale Station), a rising star in cinema in one of his earliest films. You also have the guy who played Apollo Creed’s illegitimate son and Neo from The Matrix in the same movie. Put two and two together, and over time, a film can flourish. This movie is who Keanu Reeves is in real life. He gives back to the community and takes pride in being a good person, and because of his reputation as a good person, this film will gain further popularity in years to come. Moreover, as careers flourish of any artists, their earlier works can thrive with them despite not being accessible at the time of the release.

The logline on Netflix states:

“A gambler agrees to coach a Little League baseball team from a notorious Chicago housing project if a friend will lend him money to square his debts.”

Keanu Reeves’ character, O’Neill, is reluctant at first about his new responsibility, but as we see him change, he learns of what huge impact he has on these kids. The story doesn’t even show how great of a coach he is. In fact, he is a terrible coach. But, the point is that when kids have someone to look up to they will perform their absolute best. That is why it is fantastic to see these kids win in this story despite what their struggles are growing up on the south side. The movie shows that kids can overcome anything if they have an “outlet” to escape and a great role model that inspires them.

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

Five Film Ideas for Movie Night.

May 30, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

The Giver

Meryl Streep and Jeff Bridges, what more do you want from an awesome movie? This would be a great film to watch to understand the concept of revolution, told from the perspective of the future.

Management

Jennifer Aniston does what she knows best, make every guy believe that they have a chance with her. It’s up to Steve Zahn to figure out what to do when they meet at his parents motel.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

This is Jim Carrey’s best performance alongside with Kate Winslet who break’s her typecasting, garnering her an Oscar nomination. I would call this a “love story” for the ages.

Cape Fear

Scorcese and De Niro back at it again, hot off the success of Goodfellas. A must see for all Simpson’s Fans. Imagine, Robert De Niro looking for revenge on you.

Primal Fear

Edward Norton’s film debut that propelled him to stardom, where he plays an accused murderer with multiple personality disorder. Richard Gere may or may not save the day.

My favorite film would be Primal Fear because of Edward Norton’s spectacular debut in cinema. It is probably the most epic way an actor can start out their career. But the one I would watch tonight is The Giver because the election is coming up. It may or may not just give people a new perspective on becoming more engaged in our current election. There are too many great movies out there that need to be watched! If you have a suggestion for me, don’t be afraid to Tweet at me. My Twitter handle is @DavidZosel.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

Why You Need to Watch “Charlie Countrymen.”

May 30, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love, and the girl runs away. She comes back and then runs away again. The boy finds the girl, and then something crazy happens. We all know that type of love story, but, Charlie Countryman takes this concept to a whole new level. Shia Labeouf gives an astounding performance, unlike any other film that you have ever seen from him before in his role as the titular character. The film incorporates the idea of magic realism, which in any medium of story-telling shares a universal acceptance of magic in the real world. What is interesting about this is that Charlie suffers from significant hallucinations. We don’t know if they are drug-related, mental health-related, or if there is a magical spirit that drives the film. This film teaches us the importance of adventure, that helps us explore the most significant questions of love and destiny.

The logline states:

“A young American falls hard for a Romanian cellist whose father has recently died — and whose violent past could bring about his own demise.”

Throughout the thrilling magical realism in the story, we watch Charlie follow his gut through these hallucinations. Charlie is guided by the spirit of his mother to go on this wild adventure in Romania. Following visions, hallucinations and signs can be very confusing for a character to go along with an even more challenging to make the audience believe what is going on. What drives Charlie in this story is the power of love, which stems from his Mother’s death. His newfound interest in the girl he meets creates a sense of destiny for Charlie, leading him to believe that his intentions are pure. Last, the most important driving factor in the story is the lust for adventure that Charlie has. Everyone wishes they could swallow up their fears and go on an adventure, just like Charlie does in this movie. Vicariously indulging yourself into his character makes a great experience as a movie viewer, and it may inspire you to hop on a plane and go to a random country for the reason of; just because.

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

Five Films to watch on Father’s Day.

May 30, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

I hope everyone has a great Father’s Day. I just wanted to suggest some fresh films that my own Dad and I like to watch together.

So here’s to you Pops!

1. Full Metal Jacket
You will learn why boots are made for walking.

2. Blood Sport
So much of the world will make sense to you after you see this movie. Seriously, all of life’s greatest mysteries will be solved after seeing this film.

3. The Sandlot
S’more of what? You’re killing me, Smalls!

4. Goon
It’s a tradition to watch every hockey movie that comes out because there are not too many of them.

5. Tommy Boy
Your Dad could sell ketchup popsicles to an old lady with white gloves. Don’t most Dad’s have that as a skill in their repertoire? Well, mine does.

These are five films that reflect me and my Father’s relationship. All have Father and son dynamics to each film. What are the top five movies on Netflix that resemble your ties to your Dad?

Seriously, do something beautiful for Dad today. If you are not in town, give him a phone call. If your Father isn’t around or has never been around, well be thankful that he gave you the power of life. If you have a father-type mentor in your life, let them know that you appreciate them. The important thing is that today is a day of appreciation for Father’s and Father type figures in your life. So take time out of your day to wish someone well.

I hope everyone has a safe weekend and a Happy Father’s Day!

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

Why You Need to Watch “The Iceman.”

May 30, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

Imagine, Goodfellas meets Taxi Driver meets Zodiac. Now, that would make an excellent film. Well, The Iceman is that film. This film is for people who appreciate good acting because it is filled with great performances, which is the film’s biggest asset. Michael Shannon stars as Richard Kuklinski (The Iceman), an infamous hitman known for killing over 250 plus people for the mob. The Iceman also has strong performances from Ray Liotta, Chris Evans, and Winona Ryder. If you are not a fan of James Franco, well spoiler alert, he gets killed in the movie so there may be some incentive for you to see the film.

The logline states:

“Nothing is more important than his family, which is why they can never know his homicidal secrets.”

Although this film does not do a good job of making you care about the main protagonist, it does make you really question his character of why killing people is so natural to him. The Iceman kills people like he is putting butter on toast, with no hesitation. Michael Shannon’s portrayal of Richard Kuklinski is not psychotic, it is chilling and mysterious; just what you would expect of a hitman, nicknamed The Iceman. This makes the viewer try to figure out why he is like that and how he can easily hide that from his family. I don’t know how I would personally lie to my family of what I did for a living or how I could go another day knowing that the only thing that I was good at was killing other people for money. Characters like The Iceman completely bewilder me because of their introverted nature. This film spans his career of being a hitman for over 35 years, making it an incredible story. Just to see The Iceman slowly melt himself down, exposing himself slowly throughout that period is quite fascinating to know because he only opens up to the audience for as much as he knows how to. This is a character study that fascinates many actors because the character arch of Richard Kuklinski is on fire.

Would you have that much ice running through your veins if Ray Liotta had a gun to your head?

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

Why You Need to Watch the “Double.”

May 30, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

Everyone needs to have an alter ego in some form. If you don’t have one, then find it because they are awesome. When I go to work, I am “David,” and when I come home and write this blog, I am my alter ego, Zos. The Double is a film all about the battle with the inner-self of who you are and what you aspire to be like. Jesse Eisenberg plays the protagonist, Simon James who is timid, shy and lacks confidence. He soon encounters James Simon, his more awesome alter-ego in his workplace. James Simon is a calm, cool, and confident version of Simon James. Confused to whether that this identical doppelganger is his twin, figment of his imagination or even a real person, James Simon stirs a whole lot of trouble for Simon James.

The logline states:

“A timid guy thinks he’s unique, the opposite of his devious doppelganger. But can doppelgangers really be opposites?”

The David Zosel logline says:

“A timid office hound (Jesse Eisenberg) becomes seriously paranoid after a confident and charismatic doppelganger takes a job at his factory and seduces the dame (Mia Wasikowska) that he lusts after.”

This film makes me ask the question, “Why are we so afraid to be ourselves?” Simon James fails to realize that he needs to step out of his shell to reach his fullest potential. But, we as the audience only know that while we watch the story unfold. Simon James is more worried about if James Simon is real or not. It is his battle to find his inner truth in this psychological thrilling black comedy.

As an acting performance, this is Jesse Eisenberg’s best performance since The Social Network because of his ability to play two different people from the same character.

What I took from this film is that if you want to be confident, then be confident. If you’re going to ask a girl out, then ask her out. If you want that promotion, then go and get it. If you lay around all day being too scared to do things, then you will go crazy thinking about the person that you wish you were. The Double shows us that if we do not become the person of our fullest potential, then we will always be chasing that person for the rest of our lives, hiding in fear just like Simon James.

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

30 Ads in 30 Days – Ad 24 – It’s Greek to Me.

May 30, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

Jeremy Carson, a Creative Director, based in LA, wrote an article of why you should challenge yourself to make 30 ads in 30 days with 30 different brands. This sounded like a fun challenge. For today, I wanted to do a restaurant. It’s Greek To Me, a longstanding Minneapolis restaurant is finally open for lunch after close to 40 years of business. They have a beautiful patio with a fence that could be used for ad space. Here are some headlines. Here is ad 24 of 30.

IGTM8

IGTM7

IGTM6

IGTM12

IGTM5

IGTM4

IGTM3

IGTM

IGTM2

What do you think? I want to put this in my portfolio, so tell me which ones are the best.

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

Why You Need to watch “Neon Demon.”

May 29, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

I have said this once before, and I will say it again. Just because something or someone is pretty doesn’t mean that you should strive to be like or touch that beautiful thing. The masterful storyteller, Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, Only God Forgives) reinvents conventional storytelling once again, creating a newborn fairy tale that could only come from his sick twisted dark fantasy. The Neon Demon centers around a 16-year-old girl who moves to LA pursuing a career in modeling, whose beauty and youth indulge her into a world of hurt because of the people she is surrounded by in the fashion modeling industry. Discovering that her peers are jealous vampiric murderers, Jesse (Fanning), realizes that she is the biggest monster of them all: The Neon Demon.

NWR makes films for himself and himself only; not for you. He is the epitome of what a punk rock filmmaker is, raw, bold, and rebellious. I want to make movies like the way does, in fact, I am making one right now. NWR tells stories by composing striking images that he creates from his head. Great color contrasts, opposing images, futuristic scores, and creative bubble bursts that bend the minds of his biggest fans in all of his films. He is a director that really likes to slap you in the face with real “what the f***” moments that you will never see coming.

Most of his films have themes of masculinity, but what makes The Neon Demon special is how he goes away from what he does best by emasculating his own work, going the opposite direction emphasizing feminism, beauty, and the power that women have. The Neon Demon is NWR’s sick, dark and twisted fantasy of what it would be like to be the most lusted, desired, and high in demand woman in the world. Something that he is not. This film is bold, and he goes where no filmmaker tries to go because storytellers spin tales of what they know versus what they ought or want to know. What does NWR teach us about beauty? Well, it is simple, beauty is dangerous.

This film is an abrasive bashing attack on beauty. If you are lusting for a dominant performance from a female lead in a movie like nothing you have seen before, Elle Fanning drives this film from beginning to end, making you gasp for air for five minutes at a time convincing you that beauty is only a thing created in our heads. Beauty is the eye of the beholder, and NWR quickly assures us that Jesse is the most beautiful woman to ever grace our presence since mighty Aphrodite. Even though Jesse is obviously not the “hottest” model in the film, NWR explains to us that she has something that no other models have and that is the natural purifying danger that we all fear because very few people contain that exterior quality. She is not perfect on the outside like her rivals are, and those imperfections make her unique and are the reason why everyone lusts for her in the story.

Jesse is the “Neon Demon,” a monster that glows so bright that when she walks into a room, she brings light to the world that used to be filled with darkness. It is a power that she doesn’t understand, but once she does, it consumes her and changes her to understand that narcissism is a good thing because this film teaches us that narcissism is about the complete acceptance of one’s self and capabilities. Not about how pretty you are.

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo