After spending a decade wandering the prestige television wilderness—and briefly confusing everyone by directing a BBC children’s show—radical avant-garde auteur Nicolas Winding Refn is finally returning to the big screen with Her Private Hell. The film marks Refn’s first traditional-genre feature since 2016’s hyper-stylized fashion nightmare, The Neon Demon.
The Setup: Top Secret in Tokyo
Her Private Hell is a thriller set against the neon-drenched backdrop of Tokyo. Given Refn’s track record (Drive, Only God Forgives), expect plenty of synth music, gorgeous cinematography, neon-drenched scenes, and extreme violence. The first teaser has arrived, and it’s stunning. Watch it below.
In the film, a mysterious mist descends on a metropolis. A deadly, elusive entity is unleashed upon the city as a young woman searches for her father. On her mission, her path collides with that of a soldier who is searching for his daughter.
An Arthouse Dream Team Cast
Refn has assembled a spectacularly trendy ensemble of Hollywood rising stars and international heavyweights to navigate his latest psychological labyrinth. “Yellowjackets” actor Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets) stars alongside Charles Melton (May December), Diego Calva (Babylon), and Hidetoshi Nishijima (Drive My Car). They are joined by Havana Rose Liu (Hal & Harper), Kristine Froseth (The First Lady), Shioli Kutsuna (Deadpool & Wolverine), and Aoi Yamada (Perfect Days).
Refn’s Odd Decade
For those who lost track of the director after The Neon Demon, his last ten years have been delightfully weird. He doubled down on ultra-violent, trippy streaming series like Amazon’s Too Old to Die Young and Netflix’s Copenhagen Cowboy. Then, in a pivot that gave film critics whiplash, the famously provocative director served as a creator on the wholesome BBC children’s adaptation The Famous Five. Her Private Hell looks to be a firm return to his dark, R-rated roots.
Mubi Is Insatiably Hungry
Neon and Mubi promise to announce release plans for Her Private Hell in the near future, ensuring a heavy-hitting global rollout. The acquisition is just the latest trophy on Mubi’s increasingly crowded mantle. The boutique streamer and distributor is on an absolute tear, recently locking down a massive slate of festival favorites, including: Sentimental Value, The Secret Agent, It Was Just an Accident, Rose, and Hope.
