Her Private Hell Film Review: Misty Horror

Her Private Hell, the latest from Nicolas Winding Refn, is a kaleidoscopic neon nightmare that sees Sophie Thatcher in a deserved leading role.

His work on Drive and the Pusher franchise are widely praised, so what happened to make Her Private Hell so talked about even before the release of a teaser trailer? 

Elle (Sophie Thatcher, of Companion) is a star. There’s not a single person she knows who wouldn’t take a bullet for her. When she begins shooting her new movie, she finds herself co-starring with Hunter (Kristine Froseth, of The Assistant), a girl wanting to be super relatable online when unique is “in”, and her extremely young step-mum Dominique (Havana Rose Liu, of Lurker), with whom she has some sort of romantic history. This is all whilst they’re all living in an underworld type city that is engulfed in electric pink lights and a mist that towers high above every building. It’s a kaleidoscopic neon nightmare. 

We never really know where we are (an alternative planet? A futuristic Earth where we still have the iPhones we currently use?), but it’s not a place you’d want to visit. There’s something lurking in the mist: an urban legend, the Leather Man. A few on-screen murder fill the runtime, but this idea is never fully formed. The gist is that he’s a killer after all of the hot new models. It’s in the vein of The Neon Demon, whereby the women are subjected to elite, unaccomplishable standards, but this time, someone is actually committing grizzly murders on those that reach that peak. 

Visually, it’s the exact same as the director’s last feature film, with hints of Only God Knows thrown in. Refn’s distinctive style never misses, and Her Private Hell only adds to his aesthetic we know him for. Magnus Nordenhof Jønck, who also worked with Refn on Copenhagen Cowboy, has this vibrancy to his cinematography that follows the pattern of Refn’s last few features. Still, this neon colour scheme he’s been recognised for using for a fair few years now is a complete change to the gritty crime thrillers he released before transforming his vibe. 

If a film isBeing well shot, it doesn’t mean the lackluster of a script can slide by, though. In Her Private Hell, it always feels like the dialogue, or even action, is forgetting to mention what’s actually going on. The allure can only last a short time until countless questions are raised. Maybe this is what makes Refn’s films so divisive. Sometimes you want to be told what’s happening, and not have it be a complete mystery. It still works for the most part, and is enjoyable for what it is, but the lack of cohesion and the amount of confusion it presents us with makes it more of a puzzle than it needs to be.

Thatcher and Froseth are outstanding, and both deliver on their contrasting personalities their characters have. Elle has vulnerability but is at the top of her game so can’t let that side of her show. Whereas Hunter is so happy-go-lucky that it makes people dislike her. The rest of her co-stars won’t ever be as satisfied as she is as they care too much about their persona. Charles Melton’s character of Private K, a man searching through the layers of mist to find his missing daughter, works on multiple levels, and is his best performance yet. It’s understated with a whole lot of zing. There’s no one in the cast who trails behind and the casting choices is where Her Private Hell thrives. 

Her Private Hell is beguiling for the most part, with a multitude of aspects that really work. The things that don’t almost resolve themself in the end, apart from the cryptic script. It’s not Refn’s best, but it sure isn’t his worst. As divisive as this film may be, it’s worth a shot; you never know which side you’ll be on. 

Her Private Hell premiered at the Cannes Film Festival out of competition on May 18, 2026. The film will be released in U.S. theaters on July 24, 2026.