HBO’s Euphoria immediately caught eyes with its unforgettable glittery neon makeup looks, but the makeup serves a purpose much larger than merely pushing beauty norms. In fact, apart from the iconic cinematography and music, makeup is a crucial pillar of Euphoria’s success and is used as a tool to drive the plot forward by visualizing the inner transformation of the characters.

This article looks to explore a trend in cinematic releases from the last five years that can help to navigate late capitalism’s ‘turn from belief to aesthetics’ (Fisher, 2009: 5). These films include: The Neon Demon (2016), Revenge (2017), Mandy (2018), Climax (2018), Assassination Nation (2018), and Uncut Gems (2019). The presence of cinematography overwhelms the screen, leading to the subversion of conventional narrative structures.

Over three years ago, whilst one month deep into my Drama and English degree, I learnt an important lesson: theatre is hard to define. I was analysing Shakespeare and understanding its dramatic value, and studying the Fluxus movement and seeing its theatricality too. Theatre can’t be boxed in, despite, ironically, often taking place in walled up and square spaces.