Charles Melton, Sophie Thatcher, and Nicolas Winding Refn reveal what it took to bring the surreal world of Her Private Hell to life.
Nicolas Winding Refn returns with Her Private Hell, a psychological thriller that blends surreal imagery, heightened performances, and unforgettable production design into a one-of-a-kind cinematic experience. Led by Charles Melton and Sophie Thatcher, the film embraces bold artistic choices while exploring identity, performance, and the blurred line between reality and fantasy.
Mama’s Geeky spoke with director Nicolas Winding Refn and stars Charles Melton and Sophie Thatcher about bringing Her Private Hell to life. During our conversations, they discussed what drew them to the project, the incredible costumes and handcrafted sets, collaborating with Refn’s unique filmmaking style, and how the visually immersive world shaped their performances.
Her Private Hell Interviews With Sophie Thatcher, Charles Melton, and Nicolas Winding Refn
Tessa Smith: What drew you to this script?
Charles Melton: “I must say it was Nick. It was more Nick than the script and, you know, I just knew I was gonna say yes to whatever he’s gonna do next. I mean, the imprint that Nick has in cinema and what he’s done and the lineage of actors he works with from Mads Mikkelsen to Ryan Gosling and to Naomi… I think that was something that I wanted to be a part of. I didn’t read the script once we started filming. I just trusted Nick.”
Tessa Smith: What were the biggest production challenges?
Nicolas Winding Refn: “Every movie is a challenge… challenges are good because that’s the creative odyssey. You’re there to turn your weaknesses into your strengths. We shot on stages in Copenhagen because I couldn’t find a place that existed where I could shoot the film. So I decided to build it. We had very little dough, so we had to be very inventive, which is great because creativity is about having less and then turning it into gold.”
Tessa Smith: How did the costumes help you become Private K?
Charles Melton: “I do the internal work and the collaboration with Nick and who Private K is. Then the final piece is kind of like the icing on the cake. It helped the physicality and informed Private K in this superhero-like quality that he had. It was his container… containing this animal that carried this immense pain and was in search of his daughter.”
Tessa Smith: What makes you want to say yes to a project now?
Sophie Thatcher: “I think it’s about the collaborators. I think Nick has set a new standard for myself because he allowed me artistic freedom and made me feel like a full-on artist, which you don’t get all of the time… Now I’m just looking for somebody whose vision I look up to and somebody who’s doing something that nobody else can do. The beauty of this film is that nobody else could have done it.”
Tessa Smith: What was it like stepping onto those incredible sets in costume?
Sophie Thatcher: “Costumes always are transformative, but this added… it set the tone in a way that I was like, ‘Oh, this isn’t grounded. This is heightened and it’s an unreality.’ … I’ve never worked with a director that would turn around the monitor so we could see how we held ourselves in each frame. It gave you confidence because everything was so beautifully shot and so perfectly well executed and thought out.”
Tessa Smith: Did playing an actress help you connect with Elle?
Sophie Thatcher: “I think there’s a loneliness that comes with the job. I feel very lucky that I have people in my life that I love and trust… but I feel like all actors can relate to that because with the job it’s like, I’m in Denver, I’m in Copenhagen, and it’s hard to keep a normal life and stay grounded.”
For even more from Charles Melton, Sophie Thatcher, and Nicolas Winding Refn, including additional behind-the-scenes stories about Her Private Hell, be sure to watch the full video interview.
About Her Private Hell
When a mysterious mist engulfs a futuristic metropolis, unleashing a deadly and elusive entity, a troubled young woman searches for her father. Her quest collides with an American GI on a harrowing odyssey to rescue his daughter from Hell.
Her Private Hell comes to theaters July 24th.
