Nicolas Winding Refn's Her Private Hell Continues His Own Unique Approach to Film With a Visually Arresting Sci-Fi Thriller

It's been a decade since Nicolas Winding Refn last released a feature film. Bronson, Valhalla Rising, Drive, Only God Forgives, and The Neon Demon — what a run. Most of the last ten years were spent tethered to streaming giants, developing Too Old to Die Young for Amazon and Copenhagen Cowboy for Netflix. The Danish filmmaker admits that, as his nearly decade-long episodic adventure was winding down, he felt there was "nothing else left" in his career. Her Private Hell marks the return of a creator imbued with new life in the truest definition of a second chance. It's Refnized to the core — if anything, his striking visuals and ethereal signatures have only intensified. Post-death clarity translates into another neon-blazing pastiche of sensuality, electric colorization, and elegant madness that is quite certainly not for everyone. It's a story about daddy issues, delusional actresses, and leathered-up villains as only he can tell… for better and worse. As is common for Refn, Her Private Hell isn't one-size-fits-all; one size fits Refn, and he doesn't care if you're along for the ride or gone in sixty seconds. Sophie Thatcher stars as starlet Elle, a hot young thing filming a throw