Her Private Hell Review: Nicolas Winding Refn's Return Is A Confounding, Gorgeous Fairy Tale

Who is Nicolas Winding Refn? It feels like we should have an answer by now, 11 films and 2 streaming series into his career. Yet so much discussion and criticism surrounding the Danish filmmaker concerns what he isn't, or rather what he refuses to be. Despite the success of 2011's pulp masterpiece "Drive," he's not entirely a pop-culture-soaked geek guru a la Quentin Tarantino, even though he'll happily wax rhapsodic about genre films of yesteryear that he adores in a similar manner. Despite the edginess of his work, from the "Pusher" trilogy to "Only God Forgives," he's not exactly a provocateur, certainly not when compared to fellow Dane, Lars Von Trier. And despite his wry social commentary, seen particularly in 2016's "The Neon Demon," he's not really a satirist, either. His public persona doesn't help answer the question, either, as he claims his own films are masterpieces with a straight face one moment, then says he's in communication with extraterrestrials the next. In short: is he serious, or is it all a put-on?

"Her Private Hell," the first theatrical feature Refn has made since "The Neon Demon," doesn't provide a definitive answer to the filmmaker's identity, yet it feels like a significant clue nonetheless. It's the most obtuse film of Refn's since 2003's "Fear X," which is saying a lot for a man who holds surrealists like Alejandro Jodorowsky in high regard. Yet despite copious amounts of ambiguity, cryptic dialogue, and elliptical storytelling, "Her Private Hell" is surprisingly straightforward thematically. Refn combines vintage giallo with modern melodrama and creates a glossy, gorgeous, and yes, confounding fairy tale. It can be alienating, but for those drawn in by the film's beautiful cast and lush imagery, "Her Private Hell" feels like a fantastic dream to get lost in.

Like so many surreal genre pastiches (Nicolas Winding Refn's prior work very much included), "Her Private Hell" is a fairly simple story soaked in mystery. The film is set in an amorphous city beset by a mist which apparently periodically visits this place, making it even more nebulous. Appearing literally out of the mist is Elle (Sophie Thatcher), a young actress who's well-regarded despite her nepo baby status, being the daughter of actor/raconteur Johnny Thunders (Dougray Scott).

Elle is making a new film based on an old space-age comic book series that looks like a mashup between "Barbarella," "Planet of the Vampires," and a perfume commercial. Her co-stars are a too-eager-to-please influencer, Hunter (Kristine Froseth), and her bestie-turned-stepmom, Dominique (Havana Rose Liu). If that's not enough psychodrama to deal with, Johnny tells his daughter and her friends a fairy tale about a killer called "The Leather Man," who supposedly once was a father searching for his lost daughter before he succumbed to madness and began killing young women. Meanwhile, Elle begins having dreams (or are they?) about an American soldier in Japan in either the late 1950s or early '60s, Private K (Charles Melton). He's searching for his abducted daughter, and must battle the Yakuza while also bewaring of The Leather Man.

As all of that implies, Refn's cooked up a genre stew here; part film noir, part vintage giallo, part social/media commentary, part enticing melodrama, and so on. In a more visceral director's hands, it could be too much to handle, but Refn's lugubrious pacing and hypnotic imagery make it all feel like being stuck inside a dream. Refn's come close to emulating David Lynch before, but this film feels the most reminiscent of the late surrealist's work.

"Her Private Hell" is not a breezy watch by any means. Though it has a runtime of just under two house, Refn's combination of drip feed storytelling and a maze-like structure makes you feel each minute. Thankfully, there are several aids to help smooth the experience out. One is Magnus Nordenhof Jønck's cinematography, which is never less than lush. Jønck's lens, via Refn, makes cityscapes look like "Blade Runner" by way of "Barbie," while other sequences feel like if Brian De Palma made a Lady Gaga music video. The De Palma connection is enhanced by Refn employing regular De Palma composer Pino Donaggio to write an original score for the film. Donaggio obliges in grand fashion, delivering a score which evokes Bernard Herrmann as much as it recalls "Dressed to Kill." "Her Private Hell" is the type of movie which never feels sleazy thanks to every frame looking near-pristine, where every actor is shot and styled like they were in a fashion shoot.

As a result, the trick that the actors have to pull off is to deliver on the script's lurid material without relying on costumes, hair, and makeup to help much. At this, Sophie Thatcher excels. Anyone who's been watching Thatcher's work lately, particularly in films like "Heretic" and "Companion," knows she has the goods. Yet her performance as Elle demonstrates her ability to play a wide range, from ingenue to femme fatale to unhinged and back again. Refn may be deliberately messing around with image and character, never quite revealing anyone's identity let alone true motives. Yet Thatcher is able to give Elle enough of an anchor that it feels like we're seeing the same person throughout, whoever, whatever, or wherever she may be.

Given how there's a lot of "it's not for everyone" rationalization going around in film discourse and criticism these days, it's refreshing to have a truly contentious movie like "Her Private Hell." Refn is a filmmaker who understands that no movie should be for everyone, lest it cease to be cinema altogether. 

Yet despite its alienating appearance, "Her Private Hell" is fairly user-friendly: it can be as deep or as shallow as you'd like it to be. Refn gives you all the clues to unlock its puzzle — the very first shot and the title of the movie are the biggest clues of all! This design is to the film's detriment, as most of one's energy upon a first-time watch is spent trying to figure out what you're even watching. Like "The Neon Demon" or even "Drive," I suspect a rewatch will help bring out the emotion in the film. It's certainly there, beneath a glassy exterior.

Even though "Her Private Hell" doesn't connect as hard as some of Refn's prior films, it has a richness which befits the last decade of his work, both in "The Neon Demon" and his streaming series. To be sure, the man's asking a lot of audiences, and seems to be willfully embracing polarizing opinions. Yet he isn't antagonizing so much as challenging. One scene involves characters speaking to each other in deliberately un-subtitled Japanese. If this frustrates or infuriates you, I'd give the film a miss. If, however, it intrigues or delights you, then "Her Private Hell" may be your heaven. The enigmatic Refn may be having fun, but he isn't fooling around.

/Film Rating: 7 out of 10

"Her Private Hell" opens in theaters on July 24, 2026.