Nicolas Winding Refn’s Her Private Hell announcement brings the director back to feature filmmaking after nearly a decade off from directing movies to make a couple of memorable shows. He has been focused on long-form storytelling for a while now, starting with the show Too Old to Die Young, and he even opened his own streaming service, byNWR, which allows one to watch vintage movies for free. His latest show, Copenhagen Cowboy, was one of the best new releases on Netflix in 2022. It is known for its visual style and the incredible performance of the lead actress, Angela Bundalovic.
- Remnant 2 Soul Sparks Quest, Wiki, Gameplay and More
- Cindy Kimberly Ethnicity, What is Cindy Kimberly’s Ethnicity?
- 10 Things Marvel Needs To Do In Avengers: Doomsday To Get The MCU’s Doctor Doom Right
- Burt Reynolds Height How Tall is Burt Reynolds?
- 10 Biggest Unanswered Questions & Mysteries The Strangers: Chapter 2 Needs To Solve
Now, he’s finally back to directing feature films. His last full-length movie came out in 2016, and we are excitedly awaiting more information on Her Private Hell. Nicolas Winding Refn is known for stylish visuals, marked by frames flooded by neon lights and captured with his signature 360-degree camera rotation. Moreover, there is a narrative dreaminess in his storytelling as the films meander through various plot points and slow meditative scenes of silence and minimally written character interactions on their way to the climax, often stopping at set pieces marked by extreme violence.
You are watching: Nicolas Winding Refn’s 10 Movies, Ranked Worst To Best
10
Only God Forgives (2013)
A Thriller Starring Ryan Gosling & Kristin Scott Thomas
Your Rating
close
10 stars
9 stars
8 stars
7 stars
6 stars
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Rate Now
0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
Like
See more : Félix Auger-Aliassime Ethnicity, What is Félix Auger-Aliassime’s Ethnicity?
Follow
Followed
Only God Forgives
R
Drama
Thriller
Crime
5.0/10
Release Date
May 30, 2013
Runtime
90 minutes
Director
Nicolas Winding Refn
Producers
David Lancaster, Gary Michael Walters, Ryan Gosling, Sidonie Dumas, Thor Sigurjonsson, Vincent Maraval, Brahim Chioua, Michel Litvak, Jason Janego, Tom Quinn, Jessica Ask, Matthew Read, Lene Børglum, Hanne Palmquist
Cast
See All
-
Kristin Scott Thomas
Crystal
-
Ryan Gosling
Julián
Only God Forgives is a 2013 crime drama directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. The film follows Julian, portrayed by Ryan Gosling, who manages a Thai boxing club masking his family’s drug trade. Compelled by his formidable mother, Crystal, played by Kristin Scott Thomas, Julian seeks to avenge his brother’s death.
Powered by
Expand
Collapse
Few modern directors execute the style-over-substance approach to storytelling better than Nicolas Winding Refn. His films’ characteristic pitch-dark spaces, punctuated by a dizzying array of neon arrangements, invite viewers to sit back, relax, and bask in the glow of the neon signs he so loves to film from every angle. However, the drawback of this style of narrative design is that it becomes difficult to care about the characters in the story.
Related
All 10 Ryan Gosling Movies That Are “Rotten” On Rotten Tomatoes & Why
Ryan Gosling has given some great performances in excellent films, including 2023’s Barbie, but ten of his movies were deemed “Rotten” by critics.
Posts
Only God Forgives follows a man, portrayed by Ryan Gosling, who runs a Thai boxing club as a front for his family’s criminal business. After a drug smuggling operation goes wrong, his brother is killed, and he is sent by his mother to seek revenge. Unfortunately, the movie would have benefited from having no moments of sincere character interaction, as the characters feel like excuses for Refn to clash bone with bone in glitzy spaces. They’re not written with enough detail to be invested in their stories specifically, and the film’s charm lies in its violent, frenetic, and brooding energy.
9
The Neon Demon (2016)
Starring Elle Fanning
Your Rating
close
10 stars
9 stars
8 stars
7 stars
6 stars
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Rate Now
0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
Like
See more : Félix Auger-Aliassime Ethnicity, What is Félix Auger-Aliassime’s Ethnicity?
Follow
Followed
The Neon Demon
R
Thriller
Horror
6/10
Release Date
May 31, 2016
Runtime
118 Minutes
Director
Nicolas Winding Refn
Writers
Mary Laws, Nicolas Winding Refn, Polly Stenham
Cast
See All
-
Elle Fanning
-
Karl Glusman
The Neon Demon is a psychological horror film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. The story revolves around Jesse, an aspiring model played by Elle Fanning, who moves to Los Angeles to pursue a career in fashion. She quickly discovers the dark and competitive underbelly of the modeling world, where beauty becomes a dangerous currency. The film co-stars Jena Malone, Bella Heathcote, and Keanu Reeves.
Main Genre
Thriller
Powered by
Expand
Collapse
The problem of prioritizing visual aesthetics and style over narrative construction is that it becomes impossible to deal with serious subject matter without coming across as lecturing and posturing. A movie that addresses the fashion industry’s obsession with appearances shouldn’t be complicit in proliferating said obsession. Unfortunately, Refn seems to have missed the point of the commentary he attempts to make with his film The Neon Demon, which follows a model who moves to Los Angeles to become a fashion star, and makes a group of models envious of her.
The Neon Demon was Nicolas Winding Refn’s last feature film before he started working on Her Private Hell.
The models insert themselves into her life and gradually make her unravel, before eventually devouring her, quite literally. The indulgent visuals sexualize every female body in sight, and yet, shy away from depicting the moments of pure primal violence. If not for the depiction of the ruthlessness of the appearance-obsessed industry, the poor writing and cinematography would have made it even more pretentious. The Substance, one of the best thriller movies of 2024, while also having the same problem with its gaze, is at least more attuned to the real-life experience of working in such industries.
8
Fear X (2003)
Starring John Turturro & Deborah Kara Unger
Your Rating
close
10 stars
9 stars
8 stars
7 stars
6 stars
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Rate Now
0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
Like
See more : Félix Auger-Aliassime Ethnicity, What is Félix Auger-Aliassime’s Ethnicity?
Follow
Followed
Fear X
PG-13
Thriller
Release Date
January 13, 2003
Runtime
91 minutes
Director
Nicolas Winding Refn
Writers
Hubert Selby Jr.
Producers
Henrik Danstrup
Cast
See All
-
John Turturro
Kate
-
See more : Who are Tori Spelling Parents? Meet Aaron Spelling and Candy Spelling
William Allen Young
Harry
-
Stephen Eric McIntyre
Phil
-
See more : Who are Tori Spelling Parents? Meet Aaron Spelling and Candy Spelling
William Allen Young
Agent Lawrence
Fear X, released in 2003, follows Harry, who is haunted by mysterious visions after his wife’s murder. Driven to uncover the true circumstances behind the seemingly random incident, he embarks on a journey, blurring the lines between reality and obsession in his quest for truth.
Powered by
Expand
Collapse
Of all the beloved TV shows that fans want to protect and gatekeep so they don’t lose their characteristic charm, Twin Peaks is perhaps the best example of a beloved TV show that should never be remade. With David Lynch no longer with us, the show and all related material should be left untouched, because his unique style of surrealism can neither be recreated nor repurposed. If one must tell a similar story, though, Nicolas Winding Refn would be a strong candidate.
Refn’s Fear X, his first feature film in the 21st Century, and third in his directorial career, follows John Turturro as an unlikely detective trying to solve the mystery of his missing wife. With surrealistic visions that incorporate surveillance footage, the film often attempts to blur the boundaries between real and imaginary. However, the slow burn may not feel rewarding, and while the film shouldn’t have bankrupted him and his production company, there are perhaps better ways to tell the story he wants to. Nonetheless, it’s a must-watch for fans of surreal crime dramas.
7
Valhalla Rising (2009)
Starring Mads Mikkelsen
Your Rating
close
10 stars
9 stars
8 stars
7 stars
6 stars
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Rate Now
0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
Like
See more : Félix Auger-Aliassime Ethnicity, What is Félix Auger-Aliassime’s Ethnicity?
Follow
Followed
Valhalla Rising
NR
Adventure
Drama
Action
Fantasy
2.0/10
Release Date
September 4, 2009
Runtime
93 minutes
Director
Nicolas Winding Refn
Writers
Nicolas Winding Refn, Roy Jacobsen
Producers
Bo Ehrhardt, Carole Sheridan, Christine Alderson, Henrik Danstrup, Linda James, Sigurjón Sighvatsson, Thor Sigurjonsson, Johnny Andersen, Mads Peter Ole Olsen, Yves Chevalier
Cast
See All
-
Mads Mikkelsen
One-Eye
-
Gary Lewis
Kare
Valhalla Rising is a 2009 film set in 1,000 AD, following the mute warrior One Eye and young companion Are as they escape captivity and embark on a perilous journey. Their voyage on a Viking vessel leads them to an uncharted land, uncovering fate and true identity amid mysterious circumstances.
Main Genre
Adventure
Powered by
Expand
Collapse
Set in the twelfth century, Valhalla Rising sees Nicolas Winding Refn take on Viking lore as his film follows a supernaturally strong warrior named One Eye on his adventures after escaping from his captors. The signature Refn traits of a morally compromised character introspecting on his identity and purpose, and a nearly overwhelming display of violence, tell you that it’s undoubtedly a Refn film, despite the movie being set in a world he barely ever tackles.
Its hypnotic cinematography and memorable soundscapes are sure to keep viewers hooked.
Mads Mikkelsen’s performance as One Eye is the best part of Valhalla Rising, and its worst part is its obsession with symbolism. Some of the metaphors, while seemingly subtle, are reproduced too many times for the film not to feel self-indulgent. Yet, its hypnotic cinematography and memorable soundscapes are sure to keep viewers hooked and invested even as the plot barely develops in its attempt to comment on the role of violence in determining morality.
6
Bleeder (1999)
Starring Kim Bodnia & Mads Mikkelsen
Even though the great TV show started declining in season 3, Killing Eve is worth watching till the end despite it shifting focus to other characters, simply for the performances. If the story hadn’t focused so much on Konstantin, we wouldn’t have had the eclectic mix of adorable uncle and dangerous business-minded assassin that Kim Bodnia delivers. His characters have a knack for being the heart of a story despite being angsty and undoubtedly questionable people, and nowhere is this more apparent in Bleeder.
Nicolas Winding Refn’s sophomore feature stars Bodnia and Mads Mikkelsen as two unrelated characters in personal crises. The former is in trouble with his brother-in-law for taking out his anger on his pregnant wife, while the latter struggles to forge the kind of bond he wants with a waitress. The stakes are vastly different, and yet, in the hands of Refn, who punctuates every film with violence, the two stories somehow feel equivalent in tension. Movie buffs have a treat waiting for them in Mikkelsen’s dialogue as he plays a cinephile.
5
Bronson (2008)
Starring Tom Hardy
Your Rating
close
10 stars
9 stars
8 stars
7 stars
6 stars
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Rate Now
0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
Like
See more : Félix Auger-Aliassime Ethnicity, What is Félix Auger-Aliassime’s Ethnicity?
Follow
Followed
Bronson
R
Drama
Action
Crime
6.0/10
Release Date
October 9, 2008
Runtime
92 minutes
Director
Nicolas Winding Refn
Writers
Brock Norman Brock
Producers
Allan Niblo, James Richardson, Kate Ogborn, Nick Love, Rupert Preston, Thor Sigurjonsson, Jane Hooks, Rob Morgan, Simon Fawcett, Danny Hansford, Paul Martin, Sean Faughnan, Suzanne Alizart
Cast
See All
-
Matt King
Paul Daniels
-
Tom Hardy
Michael Peterson / Charles Bronson
Bronson, released in 2008, follows the story of a young man originally sentenced to seven years for post office robbery. Over time, he spends three decades in solitary confinement, during which his identity becomes dominated by his alter ego, Charles Bronson.
Powered by
Expand
Collapse
Tom Hardy delivers a career-best performance as the career criminal Charles Bronson in the biopic of Britain’s most violent criminal. Nicolas Winding Refn gives Hardy complete freedom to disappear into the role of the titular Bronson, and he portrays the character’s lack of empathy so perfectly that it’s scary. The film is dripping in the brooding and seedy visual aesthetic that Refn is known for, and the style beautifully complements the story.
Related
Tom Hardy’s 10 Best Crime Movies
Tom Hardy has managed to shine in many genres, but he is particularly well-suited to crime movies, especially when he plays the villain.
Posts
Bronson is a man devoid of feelings and razor-focused on his life’s mission of inflicting violence and wreaking havoc everywhere possible. Michael Peterson (his real name) has lost all sense of humanity as his primal instinct of fighting and causing chaos gets the better of him all the time. While Hardy’s showcase of his incredible acting talent is worth watching, the film can feel pointless at times, even if that’s the intention, because Bronson indulges in depicting him repeating his pattern of violent behavior with editing choices that confuse viewers about the progression of time.
4
Pusher (1996)
Starring Kim Bodnia & Mads Mikkelsen
Your Rating
close
10 stars
9 stars
8 stars
7 stars
6 stars
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Rate Now
0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
Like
See more : Félix Auger-Aliassime Ethnicity, What is Félix Auger-Aliassime’s Ethnicity?
Follow
Followed
Pusher
Crime
Action
Drama
Release Date
August 30, 1996
Runtime
105 Minutes
Director
Nicolas Winding Refn
Writers
Nicolas Winding Refn, Jens Dahl
Cast
See All
-
Kim Bodnia
-
Mads Mikkelsen
-
Zlatko Buric
-
Zlatko Buric
Pusher is a 1996 Danish crime drama directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. The film follows Frank, a small-time drug dealer in Copenhagen, whose life spirals out of control over the course of a week after a deal goes wrong. Starring Kim Bodnia, the film is recognized for its raw depiction of the city’s criminal underworld and its intense narrative.
Main Genre
Crime
Powered by
Expand
Collapse
Nicolas Winding Refn’s directorial debut feature makes it clear that he is a man with a vision and a self-indulgent visual artist who loves filming humanity at its lowest. The themes of amorality and circumstantial violence that define his filmography are presented in their rawest form in Pusher. Starring Kim Bodnia and Mads Mikkelsen in the lead roles, Pusher observes from an impersonal perspective as people lose their calm and situations escalate.
Pusher marks Mads Mikkelsen’s acting debut and is often considered to be one of the most influential Danish films of all time.
Kim Bodnia plays a man whose life starts unraveling after a bad drug deal leaves him indebted to a dangerous drug lord and with no immediate means of accumulating that large a sum of money. His desperation drives him to chaotic and despicable depths, and all we can do is helplessly watch him. Refn employs a realistic and gritty documentary-like storytelling format that places the audience in the middle of conversations, but still leaves an objective distance, immersing viewers in an anxiety-inducing experience they’ll not forget easily.
3
Pusher III (2005)
Starring Zlatko Buric & Marinela Dekic
Comparisons of the Pusher films to Uncut Gems, where Adam Sandler delivers one of the best A24 movie performances ever, are inevitable. The Safdie brothers’ films also focus on characters who unravel over a short period of time as anxiety-inducing odds keep piling up against them. However, the final entry in Refn’s crime trilogy is marked by a deviation from the tone of its predecessors – it’s less angsty and more somber.
Milo is a senior drug dealer, almost untouchable for his status in the community, but he is shortchanged by an incorrect shipment that he struggles to sell. He grapples with his inability to leave his old ways behind, his daughter’s upcoming 25th birthday, and the lack of support he receives from old friends. The film is characterized by excess gore, but Refn’s maturity as a filmmaker shines through as he approaches the story with a sorrow hanging over every frame, as if mourning the protagonist’s plight instead of watching chaos unfold.
2
Drive (2011)
Starring Ryan Gosling, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, & Carey Mulligan
Your Rating
close
10 stars
9 stars
8 stars
7 stars
6 stars
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Rate Now
0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
Like
See more : Félix Auger-Aliassime Ethnicity, What is Félix Auger-Aliassime’s Ethnicity?
Follow
Followed
Drive
R
Drama
Crime
9/10
7.8/10
Release Date
September 16, 2011
Runtime
100 minutes
Director
Nicolas Winding Refn
Writers
Hossein Amini
Cast
See All
-
Ryan Gosling
-
Albert Brooks
Starring Ryan Gosling as an unnamed Hollywood stunt driver (identified only as “the Driver”) who moonlights as a criminal getaway driver, Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive follows the enigmatic Driver as he finds himself hunted by a gang of violent criminals. After becoming close with his neighbors, the Driver offers to help Standard (Oscar Isaac), who was recently released from prison, settle a debt with a robbery. But the job is far more complicated than it seems, and the Driver is forced to use everything at his disposal to survive.
Powered by
Expand
Collapse
While it’s difficult to specifically pick one of Nicolas Winding Refn’s movies as his crowning achievement in filmmaking, Drive undoubtedly belongs in the conversation. His most polished film, Refn’s rumination with morality and his obsession with neon lights in polished and dark spaces come together to provide Ryan Gosling with the perfect backdrop for his performance as the ruthless stunt driver who leaves a trail of bodies wherever he goes.
Related
10 Movies Where The Protagonist Is Absolutely Unhinged
Some of the best psychological thrillers, action satires, and horror movies feature great unhinged protagonists.
Posts
Dreamy and meandering, Drive is an atmospheric film more focused on developing the mood for the character’s progression than anything else. The style-over-substance approach to storytelling perfectly complements the hollow shell of a man that the protagonist is. He has no name, as he simply goes by Driver, and he has a deceptively calm demeanor. The film quickly descends into utter homicidal chaos as Driver’s world is upended, but the beautiful frames and their contrast to his violent ways lull viewers into a sense of safety as they’re entranced by the film’s atmosphere.
1
Pusher II (2004)
Starring Mads Mikkelsen & Leif Sylvester
Your Rating
close
10 stars
9 stars
8 stars
7 stars
6 stars
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Rate Now
0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
Like
See more : Félix Auger-Aliassime Ethnicity, What is Félix Auger-Aliassime’s Ethnicity?
Follow
Followed
Pusher II
NR
Crime
Drama
Release Date
December 25, 2004
Runtime
100 minutes
Director
Nicolas Winding Refn
Writers
Nicolas Winding Refn
Producers
Henrik Danstrup, Kim Magnusson, Rupert Preston, Kenneth D. Plummer
Cast
See All
-
Mads Mikkelsen
Tonny
-
Leif Sylvester
Smeden
-
Kurt Nielsen
Kusse Kurt
-
Anne Sørensen
Charlotte
Pusher II is a Danish crime film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, released in 2004. It follows Tonny, recently out of prison, as he struggles to redefine his life amidst the challenges of the Copenhagen underworld, dealing with family expectations and the criminal environment surrounding him.
Main Genre
Crime
Powered by
Expand
Collapse
Refn’s second film in the Pusher trilogy is arguably his Magnum Opus, a showcase of his skills as a filmmaker adept at capturing the eternal dance of humanity and morality as the two stay locked in a tug-of-war over a person’s actions. No, it doesn’t have the polish or the stylish visual aesthetic of Drive, but Refn’s raw guerrilla filmmaking in Pusher II is ideal for the story at hand. It gives him the space to ruminate on the themes that characterize his filmography, without beautifying the story when not necessary.
Among Mads Mikkelsen’s best movies and TV shows is Pusher II.
Among Mads Mikkelsen’s best movies and TV shows is Pusher II, where he plays the protagonist, his character from the previous film, who has been released from prison and wants to change his ways. The film depicts his wish to transform his life as an impossible challenge that he is incapable of overcoming. Nicolas Winding Refn is highly capable of blurring the lines of morality as he manages to make viewers root for a despicable character. Pusher II is an incredible achievement in filmmaking, as it uses close-up cinematography to make audiences uncomfortable of Mikkelsen’s very presence.
Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
Category: Entertainment