HER PRIVATE HELL
Starring: Sophie Thatcher, Charles Melton, Havana Rose Liu, Kristine Froseth, Shioli Kutsuna, Aoi Yamada, Dougray Scott, Diego Calva, and Hidetoshi Nishijima
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
ADRIANO
Have you ever watched a movie and thought to yourself, “that made a lot more sense in the filmmaker's head?” It’s clear to me that Her Private Hell’s janky dialogue and nonsensical narrative beats are intentional choices on writer/director Nicolas Winding Refn’s end, and to his credit, the visual pastiche gives the film an alluring vibe. But no, this is not a good movie. Refn’s trying to do his own Mulholland Drive, but there’s not enough connective tissue or clear thematic intention to offset the bewilderment. Maybe this could work if you're high; otherwise, not so much.
NICK
I know director Nicolas Winding Refn likes making surreal films, but he's outdone himself this time. To be clear, that isn’t a compliment. Her Private Hell acted as my own (hell, that is) as I felt trapped inside Refn's vision. What I'm sure was a cohesive idea inside the director's head is a disjointed film that is one part soap opera and one part fever dream. Even giving him the benefit of the doubt that the campy dialogue and performances were intentional, they're out of place with the film's tone. It’s a visual treat, but that doesn’t make up for the rest of this mess.
ROBERT
Mute antiheroes, brutal and unforgiving combat, neon-saturated backdrops…it must be a Nicolas Winding Refn joint. Her Private Hell is a semi-revenge, martial-arts, action movie combined with a sci-fi aesthetic and horror motif reminiscent of The Fog. At times, the sound design and light flashes bombard you into unease, but you aren’t meant to be comfortable in any setting, whether in the depths below or towering above the billowing mist. Beyond some of the sensory overload, there are breathtaking shots and mood-setting score beats that relay an ethereal quality. I was engaged throughout, even if I wasn’t always aware of where I was.
BODE
Since achieving mainstream success with 2011’s Drive, director Nicolas Winding Refn has spent more than a decade specializing in neon-drenched nightmares to the point of increasing divisiveness. Her Private Hell sees him picking up right where he left off with its glacial pacing, bisexual lighting, extreme violence, psychosexual situations, and emphasis on mood over narrative. It’s Refn at his most unrestrained, and I loved nearly every minute of it. Could I understand everything? No. But the images are beautiful, the vibes are immaculate, and composer Pino Donaggio’s score is year-end worthy stuff. That might be hell to some. But it’s not to me.
This film was reviewed by Nick, Adriano, and Bode as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2026 Fantasia International Film Festival.