Refn's 'Her Private Hell' Debuts in Theaters via Neon
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- "Her Private Hell" marks Refn's 11th film and first feature since 2016's "The Neon Demon," which he describes as a "mysterious and fashionable companion piece" to that earlier work
- Neon released the film in theaters after a Cannes premiere that drew mixed reviews, though Refn predicts it will "draw a cult audience"
- Sophie Thatcher stars as Elle after a year-long casting search; Refn says he knew she was right "purely on instinct" the moment she arrived for a general meeting, citing her "eyes that were incredibly seductive, like an old movie star"
- Pino Donaggio, the Brian De Palma collaborator in his mid-80s and semi-retired, composed the score after Refn asked him to write an opera-slash-requiem, telling him, "But you're going to die soon. Could you make it a requiem?"
- Refn and Ryan Gosling have a third collaboration planned, with Refn saying, "It's the only thing we ever talk about… we know we have a third movie in us. We just have to find the one."
- "Maniac Cop" is Refn's announced next project, a reimagining of the horror franchise, which he teased as "like Christmas" with fans told to wait
Why it matters: After nearly a decade away from features, Refn's return via a divisive, visually maximalist sci-fi piece repositions him back in the theatrical conversation, and his confirmation of a third Gosling pairing plus a "Maniac Cop" reimagining signals a more prolific stretch ahead for a director whose cult following has only deepened since "Drive."
