Nicolas Winding Refn has revealed that a life-threatening heart condition and subsequent surgery fundamentally changed his approach to filmmaking. The Danish director, known for films including Drive, The Neon Demon and Only God Forgives, says he had lost his creative drive before undergoing the operation in 2023.
Speaking with The Guardian, Refn described the experience as a form of rebirth that eventually inspired his latest movie, Her Private Hell. The filmmaker said he had reached a point where he was uncertain about his future and no longer felt the same creative urgency that had defined his career.
His new film reflects that renewed perspective through an intentionally unconventional blend of science fiction, horror, fantasy, revenge and camp. Starring Sophie Thatcher and Charles Melton, Her Private Hell uses shifting realities and dreamlike imagery to explore family, protection and mortality.
Refn Was Facing a Serious Health Crisis
Refn’s health problems began while he was working on a Prada campaign in Italy in 2023. He was experiencing extreme tiredness and appeared unusually pale, but initially believed the symptoms were caused by his workload.
After returning to Copenhagen, however, a medical examination revealed that a heart valve was severely damaged and was causing blood to enter his lungs. Refn told The Guardian that he was “essentially dying” when doctors discovered the problem.
The filmmaker was initially preparing for open-heart surgery and was even advised to make a will. However, his surgeon ultimately offered a less invasive approach using telescopic surgery, meaning Refn would not need to have his ribcage opened.
Refn described the surgeon as the “Tom Cruise of surgeons” and interpreted the unexpected medical development as a second chance. He said the experience made him believe he had more work to accomplish creatively.
The recovery was difficult, with Refn describing significant physical pain and approximately three months of rebuilding his strength. Yet the process also influenced how he approached his next project.
Her Private Hell Turns Rebirth Into a Film
Her Private Hell follows Elle, played by Sophie Thatcher, as she attempts to reconnect with her powerful filmmaker father while pursuing a bizarre science-fiction project of her own. The movie deliberately blurs the boundaries between reality, filmmaking and fantasy.
Another central storyline follows Private K, played by Charles Melton, an American GI searching for his missing daughter in postwar Japan. His search leads him toward the mysterious Leatherman, a figure associated with gruesome killings.
Refn has connected Private K’s story to his own experiences as a father. He explained to The Guardian that the character became a “cinematic narrative” through which he could process what had happened to him.
The director also describes the film as a deliberately exaggerated exploration of paternal protection, calling the concept “dadsploitation.” At the same time, he rejects the idea that the movie is intended as a straightforward political statement.
Refn’s distinctive visual style remains central to the project, with elaborate costumes, neon imagery, extreme violence and fetishistic sound design contributing to its deliberately heightened atmosphere. He also believes the film’s fragmented structure makes it resistant to algorithm-driven entertainment.
“This is a movie that AI could never do,”
Refn told The Guardian, describing Her Private Hell as a challenge to increasingly standardized forms of entertainment.
Despite mixed reactions to the movie, Refn says he prefers filmmaking that provokes disagreement rather than universal approval. After surviving his medical crisis, however, his priorities appear clearer.
“Every day I thank God for killing me and bringing me back,” Refn said, explaining that the experience left him convinced that he still had a purpose. Her Private Hell is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on September 25, 2026.
