After spending a decade working in television, Nicolas Winding Refn returns to the big screen with his latest feature, Her Private Hell . In the months leading up to the film, he described it as “something groovy,” with obscure, behind-the-scenes photos scattered across his Instagram page. Now that the film has premiered, I can say that Her Private Hell is certainly an all-time great.

The film focuses on a group of actresses, led by Elle (Sophie Thatcher, Yellowjackets), who gather in a posh hotel in Tokyo in the near-distant future . They are making a Barberella-like film together, which has caused tensions to rise between them. But that’s nothing compared to the hell that awaits them as a heinous killer known as Leather Man targets them as his next victims.

The word that would best describe Her Private Hel l is camp, which is not something you would expect from a Nicolas Winding Refn film. Historically, his films have taken themselves pretty seriously, but Her Private Hell feels more self-aware. Beneath the neon-soaked cinematography, the 1950s-inspired score, the excessive gore, and the deliberately cheeky performances, the film feels less interested in seriousness and more interested in cultivating a vibe. At times, that gives the film an undeniably cool, neo-noir atmosphere. But in chasing that atmosphere so relentlessly, Her Private Hell ends up collapsing in on itself.

Narratively, the film is pulled in so many different directions that it comes to feel like it is about nothing at all. The only constant thread is the presence of the supernatural serial killer targeting women in Tokyo. Beyond that, the film drifts endlessly between disconnected storylines. One moment it is following an American G.I., played by Charles Melton ( May December ), searching through Tokyo’s underworld for his missing daughter. Another storyline centres on Elle and her fractured relationship with her co-stars, particularly Dominique (Havana Rose Liu, Bottoms ), who was once her best friend and is now her stepmother. Add to that countless other narrative detours scattered throughout the film, most of which never fully materialize into anything meaningful.

The many competing storylines prevent the film from ever finding a narrative anchor. By the end, the lingering question becomes: what exactly was Her Private Hell trying to say? Refn seems so consumed with creating an aesthetically “cool” atmosphere that he forgets to give the film any real substance. His films have always been driven by style, but there was always substance beneath the surface. Instead, Her Private Hell feels strangely hollow as it lacks the narrative depth that made his other work so compelling.

Overall, Her Private Hell is undeniably a mood-heavy experience, but whether that works for audiences will depend on their tolerance for style over substance. If you are drawn to films that prioritize aesthetics, atmosphere, and sensory overload above storytelling, this one is for you. But if you are looking for the kind of narratively rich filmmaking that Refn once balanced so well with his visual style, Her Private Hell will likely leave you disappointed. Viewers are likely to be equally fascinated and frustrated by the film, which may ultimately be the most accurate way to describe the experience of watching it.

Her Private Hell premiered at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival out of competition. It arrives in theatres on July 24, via Elevation Pictures.