The latest movie from Nicolas Winding Refn, the director of Ryan Gosling’s Drive, has received largely negative reviews from critics, leading to a disappointing score on Rotten Tomatoes. Her Private Hell is a sci-fi thriller movie featuring Sophie Thatcher as Elle, Charles Melton as Private K, Kristine Froseth as Hunter, and Havana Rose Liu as Dominique. The movie premiered at this year’s Cannes on May 18, 2026. It will debut in US theaters on July 24, 2026.
What critics are saying about Her Private Hell in reviews
Nicolas Winding Refn’s recent feature has incited mostly unfavorable responses from critics. The film revolves around a group of actresses who meet at a hotel as a serial killer looms in the background.
Siddhant Adlakha of Decider wrote, “There’s only so unkind one can be to a film like Her Private Hell. It is, quite clearly, deeply personal to its creator, but in a way that a convoluted dream might be personal to someone explaining it badly before they’ve had a cup of coffee.”
Meanwhile, Variety’s Owen Gleiberman observed, “It’s obvious that all of this coheres in Refn’s mind, because he wouldn’t have made it otherwise. But he has become seriously deluded about what an audience wants.”
Therese Lacson of Collider wrote that the movie initially appears to be a “sci-fi lovers’ dream” that encapsulates “the cyberpunk aesthetic perfectly.” However, she adds, “dig a bit deeper under that neon, glossy surface, and all you’ll find is a hollow core.”
In contrast, The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw gave the movie a positive review. “Her Private Hell resists interpretation, like so many of Refn’s recent films, but executes a slow dervish swirl of hypnotic strangeness,” he shared.
Her Private Hell gets a poor score on Rotten Tomatoes
At the time of this writing, Her Private Hell has a 43% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This number will likely change as the movie approaches its release date. While a significant change in the above-mentioned rating is unlikely, the movie can still become a box-office success if the general audience likes it.
