Nicolas Winding Refn's 'Her Private Hell' premieres worldwide

Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn returns to feature filmmaking after a decade with the sci‑fi thriller Her Private Hell. The film, co‑written with Esti Giordani and starring Sophie Thatcher, Charles Melton, Havana Rose Liu and Dougray Scott, debuted out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival on 18 May 2026 and opened in U.S. theatres on 24 July 2026 via Neon.

Set in a fog‑shrouded futuristic metropolis, the story follows actress Elle (Thatcher) as she searches for her missing father while a mysterious mist unleashes the Leather Man, a serial killer who targets young women. Parallel to her narrative, American GI Private K (Melton) hunts for his kidnapped daughter in post‑war Japan. The film is noted for its neon‑lit, hyper‑stylized visuals, avant‑garde editing and polarising critical reception, with reviewers praising its aesthetic while criticizing its opaque plot.

The release is being highlighted in international cinema listings, including Turkish theatres where the film joins a slate of new domestic releases. Refn describes the project as an exploration of genre, unreality and personal subconscious experience.