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Film: Her Private Hell
Year: 2026
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Writer: Nicolas Winding Refn and Esti Giordani
Starring: Sophie Thatcher, Charles Melton and Havana Rose Liu
Review:
This is a film that caught my attention when it was playing at the Gateway Film Center. It popped on to my radar when the trailer was playing ahead of other things that I saw. Figuring out that this was a horror film, it sealed it. Then learning that it was directed and co-written by Nicolas Winding Refn added to it, as well as starring Sophie Thatcher. I did have a feeling this was going to be surreal, from the parts of the trailer I saw as well as knowing Refn’s works. Other than that, I did come in blind.
Synopsis: when a mysterious mist engulfs a futuristic metropolis, unleashing a deadly and elusive entity, a troubled young woman searches for her father. Her quest collides with an American GI on a harrowing odyssey to rescue his daughter from Hell.
Now this film is a bit difficult to talk about. I was lost for a stretch while watching in the theater until I just went over to just watching what was happening. We start by seeing this high-rise known as the Tower Hotel. Elle (Sophie Thatcher) arrives and as she walks along the hallway comes to see a young woman, Hunter (Kristine Froseth). She is co-starring with Elle in a film based on a comic called Candyfloss. A series of events has led to the airline losing Hunter’s luggage, she gave up her room and doesn’t know what she’ll do. Elle allows her to stay with her.
A bit of background information is that Elle is estranged from her father, Johnny Thunders (Dougray Scott). How we are introduced to him is odd. What we get is that he’s sleazy. He has a fetish where he seduces younger actresses. This would include his current wife, Dominique (Havana Rose Liu). She used to date Elle, complicating it further. I also got the idea that Johnny was a director or made films. Dominique is also starring in this sci-fi film with the other two ladies.
In a concurrent storyline, we meet Private K (Charles Melton), a former American GI who lost his daughter. Elle discovers his lighter in a coat pocket and that triggers the shift to follow him. Emerging from a mysterious, trouble-inducing mist, Private K visits a doll shop once frequented with his daughter, then roams the alleyways to a Yakuza-run club involved in prostitution. After fighting the gangsters inside, Private K is punished by the police, who whip him with a belt.
There is then a horrific murder that Elle and Hunter witness. It is perpetrated by the Leatherman (Jason Hendil-Forssell). He rips open a woman’s chest while they watch in horror. Hunter shares the lore of him that was told to her. That includes that there are two, supernatural female foxes that find victims, unless they can fight back. This entity might also be the devil. Private K is looking for him, believing he had something to do with the fate of his child.
That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is that this film won’t be for everyone. To put it into perspective, Refn did Drive, Neon Demon and Only God Forgives. That order of films gets weirder and more surreal. I’d say this is closer to the last one in that it is a dystopian sci-fi future. This takes place in what I’m guessing is Japan. It is definitely an Asian country. There are elements like our world while also just being different. I do appreciate his world building.
The film also features a meta-commentary: Elle and the others are starring in a sci-fi project reminiscent of Planet of the Vampires or Barbarella. The climax transitions unnaturally to this set, a choice that feels connected to the title. Additionally, the mysterious mist appears at the tower's base, where Private K navigates the Yakuza-run streets, effectively symbolizing the underworld.
Where I then want to shift would be to look at the lead character, Elle. It sets up early that she is estranged from her father. She is desperately seeking that connection. There is a complicated situation with the two women she spends time with. Hunter is obsessed with her public persona. She is trying too hard. Elle still has feelings for Dominique. It is odd since this other woman is married to her father. The title factors in here since she is vying for the attention but is placated. She then decides to act out. Thatcher does a great job with her performance.
Then I want to shift to the other character, Private K. There is less revealed about him, but we also get everything that we need. He is former military. He is in his own private hell and out for revenge. This causes him to start trouble with seedy people. There’s an element here of him not being able to protect his family and the dishonor that comes with it. That element was something I enjoyed. Seeing the punishment he inflicts and endures is his penance. There is a grittiness to it that adds something to the surreal atmosphere. Credit to Melton’s stoic performance.
The film also explores paternal ownership by contrasting Private K, a violent protector, with Johnny, a predatory auteur who objectifies his partners as "daughters". Further themes include the duality between Private K and Leatherman, Elle’s detachment from violence due to her immersive "fantasy" of filmmaking, and the depiction of trauma as a purgatorial state for the characters. There’s also a good blend of futuristic sci-fi with the tower to the 50s/60s Yazuka underworld below.
That should be enough for the story so over to the acting performances. I’ve already said that Thatcher was good as our lead. She plays this character who is floating through her world until we near the climax. We then see that she’s broken and doesn’t have much control. Melton plays his role stoically and that works. You can feel the hurt underneath his facade. Liu and Froseth help to believe the story around Elle. Scott works in his role as did Hendil-Forssell. The rest of the cast does round this out for what was needed.
All that is left would be the filmmaking aspects. This is somewhere that Refn always shines for me. I love how he can create this futuristic world while still grounding it. Blending that with the gritty underworld is good. The effects are something that I also need to credit. The CGI used is fine. Since it is a sci-fi film, I am forgiving. The brutally practically done effects are great. Seeing the fight scenes with Private K or what Leatherman does works. Other than that, the music adds to the atmosphere and fits what was needed.
In conclusion, this stands as a surreal and challenging addition to Refn’s filmography, effectively echoing the dystopian tone found in his previous works. While the film's abstract narrative may not appeal to every viewer, it succeeds through its immersive world-building and the grounded, stoic performances delivered by Thatcher and Melton. By blending gritty, practical effects with a haunting score, the film creates a unique and cohesive experience that rewards those willing to embrace its intense, surreal vision.
My Rating: 7 out of 10