The maestro of neon-drenched nihilism is finally back where he belongs. After spending a decade wandering the prestige television wilderness—and briefly giving film critics absolute whiplash by directing a wholesome BBC children’s show—radical avant-garde auteur Nicolas Winding Refn makes his grand return to the big screen with Her Private Hell.
Marking Refn’s first feature film since 2016’s hyper-stylized, flesh-eating fashion nightmare The Neon Demon, the highly anticipated film is now playing in theaters nationwide.
Tokyo Drift (Into Pure Madness)
True to form, Her Private Hell is a sleek, intoxicating film set against the glowing, rain-slicked backdrop of Tokyo. If Refn’s signature style (Drive, Only God Forgives) is any indicator, audiences should prepare for gorgeous cinematography, long, silent stares, pulsating synth beats, and explosions of brutal violence.
The narrative kicks off when a thick, unnatural mist descends upon the metropolis, unleashing a deadly, elusive entity into the streets. Amidst the foggy chaos, a young woman ventures into the haze searching for her missing father—only for her path to violently collide with a hardened soldier desperately hunting for his own lost daughter.
An Arthouse Dream Team
Refn has assembled a spectacularly trendy ensemble of rising stars and international heavyweights to wander through his latest psychological labyrinth. Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets, Heretic) stars alongside Charles Melton (May December), Diego Calva (Babylon) and Hidetoshi Nishijima (Drive My Car). Havana Rose Liu (No Exit) and Kristine Froseth (The First Lady), Shioli Kutsuna (Deadpool & Wolverine), and Aoi Yamada (Perfect Days) also appear.
A Decidedly Weird Decade
For those who lost track of the director after 2016, his last ten years have been a delightfully chaotic trip. He initially doubled down on ultra-violent, hyper-saturated streaming series—delivering the grueling “Too Old to Die Young” for Amazon and the surreal “Copenhagen Cowboy” for Netflix. Then, in a pivot that baffled the entire industry, the provocative director co-created a family-friendly adaptation of “The Famous Five” for the BBC.
Her Private Hell marks a firm, unapologetic return to his pitch-black, R-rated comfort zone. Handled globally by boutique titans NEON and MUBI, Her Private Hell is mandatory viewing for fans of hypnotic synth-thrillers and gorgeous cinematic doom. Clear your schedule, head to the theater, and watch out for the fog!
