Her Private Hell

Synopsis: A troubled young woman searches for her father as a mysterious mist engulfs a futuristic metropolis, unleashing a deadly and elusive entity. Her quest collides with an American G.I. who's on a harrowing odyssey to rescue his daughter from hell. 

Movie review: 

"Her Private Hell" is directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, and it's an original sci-fi flick that shares a lot of similarities with his other works. It features vibrant, dreamlike cinematography, a memorable musical score, and solid performances from its young leads. However, all of that is overshadowed by a lackluster story and odd character actions, making it feel like an art film that might split audiences. Sophie Thatcher plays Elle, a young woman who's mysterious, selfish, and not very likable, but her charm makes her one of the highlights of the film. She really gives it her all, especially with some of the bizarre acting choices she makes in the third act. Havana Rose Liu portrays Dominique, Elle's new stepmother, and while her performance is okay, her character is so unlikable and one-dimensional that it makes her pretty boring. Kristine Froseth plays Hunter, the new roommate, and she does her best with the material she's given, but her character comes off as weird and bizarre, often acting like she's high. Charles Melton plays Private K, a cop searching for his daughter, and he delivers a decent performance, but his storyline feels disconnected from Elle's, even though his fight scenes are incredible, bloody, and exhilarating, which made me enjoy parts of the movie. My main issue with Private K is that he acts like a robot, moving slowly and just staring at things, which honestly made me chuckle. The biggest problem with this movie is its lack of a plot; it feels more like a collection of beautiful shots that resemble paintings without any real narrative. Despite the stunning artistic filmmaking that creates a nightmarish world and some great performances from talented young actors, this one just wasn't for me and will likely divide opinions. I'm giving "Her Private Hell" a 2/5 stars.

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn 

Cast: Sophie Thatcher, Havana Rose Liu, Charles Melton, Kristine Froseth, Shioli Kutsuna, Diego Calva, Aoi Yamanda, Parker Sawyers with Hidetoshi Nishijima and Dougray Scott 

Runtime: 110 Minutes