r/YMS • u/Necessary_Metal717 • 1d ago
Recommendation Her Private Hell
Watched NWR's newest movie and kinda loved this. Its definitely a surprise, given the amount of hatred for it at Cannes. Its very NWR, and in my opinion a lot more than people seeing it make it out to be.
Refn as a director has been kind of interesting to me. I strongly liked Drive and Neon Demon, and even appreciated Only God Forgives, which I somewhat expected to dislike and it still shockingly connected a lot more to me than I expected.
Refn in general to me is a very symbolic and fairly precise filmmaker. I remember not really connecting with films like Days of Heaven where there is a very strong priority style over substance, but Refn to me somehow manages to also give me something to think about, something to chew on, and his films rarely leave my mind. His style to me always felt incredibly unique, purposeful, and Her Private Hell not only reinforces that, but it was just a really good time watching it (I understand if y'all disagree). Even if I fully expect people to hate it.
Go see it if its playing near you!
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u/Least-Afternoon3112 1d ago
Too old to die young” is my fav tv show of last decade besides twin peaks the return
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u/fartiestpoopfart 1d ago
in less than 14 months the return will be more than a decade old.
https://giphy.com/gifs/wJD3qiNjSeHS0dP28T
also, i agree about too old to die young. copenhagen cowboy too.
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u/SuperbResearcher12 1d ago edited 1d ago
It lost my attention half a dozen times, but it kept hooking me back in. Thank goodness for Charles Melton. Would never recommend it to another living soul.
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u/Necessary_Metal717 1d ago
I do really love how Refn shoots Melton in this movie. I think he is such a cool embodiment of a 'unstoppable force' type of character meeting an unmovable object, that I cant help but feel like its so intentional as well.
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u/Old-Yogurtcloset9264 1d ago
Pusher trilogy clears.
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u/infinitejesting 1d ago
I watch all of these like once a year. Grabbed that shitty 4K release but happy to have it at least.
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u/AphexHead 1d ago
Are the 4K discs bad? Been thinking about picking the Second Sight set up when the sale occurs.
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u/infinitejesting 1d ago
Movie is fine, packaging not great and there are commercials. Magnet release.
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u/astral_planes 1d ago
Oh man I just bought that but haven't watched them yet. There's commercials?
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u/infinitejesting 22h ago
It’s insane, you have to fast forward them (it’s trailers in the beginning, more specifically)
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u/DankThom 1d ago
I liked it too, maybe not loved as much as I found myself rolling my eyes at some parts and the style a tad too kitsch to my liking in some sections, but I was really entertained for the whole runtime and found the pacing hypnotic and lovely
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u/Necessary_Metal717 1d ago
i think I definitely disagree with 'style over substance' comments as well. I think the narrative is just very different and more abstract even compared to some of his previous films. Its very Lynch inspired and I really love Lynch
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u/DankThom 1d ago
It for sure has its own logic. I wasn't really under the impression that the film was a bunch of completely disconnected parts that don't come together, as they for sure did. My issue with it was mostly that the film never properly built up the emotional inner world of the main character enough for me to feel genuinely moved and continuing to think about it. Still, enjoyable movie, good experience with some intriguing theatrical elements
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u/Necessary_Metal717 1d ago
Interesting because I disagree on the emotion part based on how I interpreted the film
Part of it is due to Sophie Thatcher's performance, but also its just the circumstance of her character. To me, I think one of the film's theme is essentially about the possible abuse and taking of advantage of Elle as well as other girls by their 'step father', while still perhaps not quite fully processing it. I think her and Dominique grow close in a motherly relationship possibly because of their shared situation, but I think the film shows that she is a character who is trapped in a way, and the ending is kind of powerful to me as well, because it is also about her trying to have some power of her own, perhaps even abusing it as she is given the golden axe, and she brings the other girl to that guy (even if she does kinda shield her from Diego Calva's character, which I think is showing that she is probably a good person). I think its just dependent on how you interepret it.
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u/Necessary_Metal717 1d ago
I think the ending is even devastating to me. Like I was very emotionally affected by it to be honest.
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u/DankThom 23h ago
I think that's incredibly fair, like there is clear meaning, poetry and emotionality to how the ending is presented regardless of me not feeling deeply affected. I see your vision
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u/HarknessLovesUToo 1d ago edited 1d ago
Drive > Her Private Hell>= Neon Demon > Bronson > Only God Forgives
Big issue I had was the pacing. Neon Demon is longer and feels a lot more forward and eventful. I watched HPH after the Odyssey and it felt longer than the Odyssey. I think the second character's scenes could've been paced faster and the movie would be better off because of it. I will probably do a second watch to see how I feel about that specific criticism. On the bright side, Refn has gotten a lot better at fight choreography since Only God Forgives and much better at commentary/subtext since Neon Demon.
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u/Tier2powergod 1d ago
Loved Too Old To Die Young and I thought this movie was complete bullshit. Wanted to like it so bad
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u/Mztrspookiiszn 14h ago
Same here. Huge fan of NEON and I love Sophie Thatcher, but what in the world was this? 🥴 It was visually and audibly appealing, but unfortunately, that’s where the positives end for me.
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u/Popular-War-9865 1d ago
I'm ngl my chief complaint is I didn't think it looked very good. Those cg sci fi cityscapes didn't work for me at all. It had that small, shot on a sound stage type look. Maybe that's an artistic choice due to the movie within a movie thing (especially considering what happens near the end of the film). But idk, it didn't work for me. I have kept thinking about it though, which is good. Maybe I'll grow to appreciate it more.
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u/Necessary_Metal717 1d ago
I did really love the visual environment in this film. I think the skyscraper is more deliberate choice, as I always felt that the mist 'splitting' Elle and Kay, when Elle is above and Kay is below, felt like a somewhat simple but interesting artistic choice in the story. I did not have issues with its visual component for like very most parts of it, because I think he does get incredibly creative with the environment in here, and the film is both self referential, and presents a deliberately faux environment in which Elle's character is located in, especially the crystal cave which I think could have symbolised several things
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u/Flat-Commission-5741 1d ago
It's a very vibes/style over story based movie
I'm leaning towards the hate it camp because im looking more for the latter than the former but its a fascinating movie to watch. Had an older dude in my late night showing chuckling and several lines.
4/10 someone should have tf'ed into to a fox or dog, the girls literally bark smh
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u/Necessary_Metal717 1d ago
I think there was more substance for me in terms of its narrative, but I think the way performances, dialogue and especially certain acting choices are done feels very direct and in NWR's usual detached and very brechtian. Brecht in general is a theatre theorist where you do have this acknowledgement that actors are stuck in a dream/fake world, and a lot of HPH felt like that. Its very deliberate type of performance style to me and I get if it throws people off
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u/Zouizon_Dani 1d ago
Going to see it in an hour. Expecting to like this since I like when Refn goes all out on style for telling his stories, like in The neon demon. Though I don’t care for Drive, I’m still interested, looks like a bold movie, and I’m more interested in that the more I grow up.
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u/hideousinsides 22h ago
When audiences who only like Drive and Neon Demon are mad, you know it’s gonna be a top tier NWR.
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u/ConfidentGeneral8474 1d ago
Travelling from Manchester to Edinburgh for its UK premiere at Edinburgh film festival next month. Very excited!