Cannes 2026 Review: Nicholas Winding Refn's 'Her Private Hell' Falls Flat as a Neon-Lit Bore
By
Siddhant Adlakha
Slow-proofed and worth the wait. Worth its weight in flour.
Summary
A critical review of Nicholas Winding Refn's film 'Her Private Hell' premiering at the Cannes Film Festival 2026. The reviewer finds the film deeply personal but incoherent, describing it as a convoluted, meandering bore that fails to engage despite its neon aesthetic. The review suggests the film is self-indulgent and difficult to follow, comparing it to a badly explained dream.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledIt 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.
It unfurls in meandering mumbles that make roundabout sense if you lean forward and read between the lines, but it's a conversation you'd rather not have.
Sometimes you just have to nod along, and accept that the speaker needs the space to process.
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