MOVIE REVIEW: HER PRIVATE HELL

 

A troubled young woman searches for her father as a mysterious mist engulfs a futuristic metropolis, unleashing a deadly and elusive entity. Her quest collides with an American G.I. who's on a harrowing odyssey to rescue his daughter from hell.

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Cast: Sophie Thatcher, Charles Melton, Havana Rose Liu, Kristine Froseth, Shioli Kutsuna, Aoi Yamada, Dougray Scott, Diego Calva, Hidetoshi Nishijima

Release Date: July 24, 2026

Genre: Crime, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated R for some strong/bloody violence, sexual content, and language.

Runtime: 1h 49m

Review:

Nicolas Winding Refn’s Her Private Hell boasts a dreamlike quality that pops off the screen; however, its muddled scripting and lackadaisical pacing saps the film of any propulsive energy that makes the film feel far longer than it actually is.  Nicolas Winding Refn has proven he’s more than capable of delivering the kind of singular visuals that will stay with you long after the film ends, something, a talent on display here.  He creates an atmosphere that’s initially enticing and engrossing as we are plunged headfirst into this world and its mythology, but the story never matches the quality of what’s thrown on screen.  The script is peppered with stiff dialogue that saps the performances of any energy for long stretches of time.  There are some fascinating themes running under it all, but it’s all executed in such a thoroughly clumsy fashion that the story doesn’t keep you at arm’s length as much as it shoves you out of the way.  The majority of the dialogue is delivered in the most monotone manner possible with only a handful of bloody action sequences perking up the energy onscreen.  The story isn’t terribly cohesive by design, which wouldn’t be much of an issue if it wasn’t so hard to trudge through some odd creative choices that feel like it handcuffs the film’s cast.  Sophie Thatcher leads the film, clearly buying into the director’s vision, with an impressive level of commitment that you’re left wishing she’d been given free rein to flesh out her character.  There’s only one moment in the film’s final act where she’s able to unleash a noticeable level of ferocity that brings her character to life, something sorely missing beforehand.  The rest of the cast suffers from a similar fate with Kristine Froseth as the new girl, Hunter, seeming to find some spark of life every time she pops up onscreen.  Charles Melton and Havana Rose Liu are mostly constrained to looking good throughout but given very little else to do.  Shioli Kutsuna’s Ms T and Aoi Yamada’s Ms S are interesting muse like characters that pop up here and there bringing a very specific energy to the screen that almost like performance art.  Dougray Scott’s Johnny Thunder is intriguing in the early sequences, but the character disappears after the first act and never returns.   Her Private Hell is the kind of film that feels designed to be divisive in its overall approach, but it can’t overcome the general fact that it’s never as engaging or smart as it thinks it is.   

C-

MOVIE REVIEW: COMPANION

 

A weekend getaway turns bloody and violent when a subservient android that's built for human companionship goes haywire.

Director: Drew Hancock

Cast: Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén, Rupert Friend

Release Date: January 31, 2025

Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated R for strong violence, sexual content, and language throughout.

Runtime: 1h 37m

Review:

Companion is a fun, dark dramady that puts a techno twist on the lifecycle of an abusive relationship led by a stellar turn from Sophie Thatcher.  Sleekly shot and well-paced, the film quickly lays out the set up and players before moving into the meat of the action.  Drew Hancock's debut feature shows off an ability to turn on a dime from tense to darkly funny.  It gives the entire film a breezy feel even as the body count continue to increase.  Through it all he never loses focus on Sophie Thatcher's Iris and her "awaking" as the human collection of dullards attempt to complete their master plan.  There aren't many surprises to be had since the story plays out like you'd expect but that doesn't detract much since the cast is strong across the board.  Sophie Thatcher leads the entire thing by naturally cycling through a wide range of emotions as the film goes on.  She's got the kind of screen presence that makes it easy to root for her character as she tries to break free on multiple levels.  Jack Quaid is a fun counterpart since he's able to project his goofy energy along with incel infused anger as he slowly loses control.  Thatcher and Quaid have solid chemistry together that gives their scenes together a sort of rom-com vibe before things turn more twisted.  Harvey Guillén brings his fun and likable persona to his supporting role with his onscreen partner Lukas Gage making for a fun counter point to Quaid and Thatcher's relationship.  Rupert Friend is clearly having a blast, hamming it up as Megan Suri's well-off Russian boyfriend which is a shame since he's got the least screentime of the ensemble.  It all adds up to making Companion the perfect anti Rom-Com for those that like their love stories with a bit more blood and viscera.  

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: HERETIC

Two young missionaries become ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse when they knock on the door of the diabolical Mr. Reed. Trapped in his home, they must turn to their faith if they want to make it out alive.

Director: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods

Cast: Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East, Topher Grace, Elle Young

Release Date: November 8, 2024

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Rated R for some bloody violence.

Runtime: 1h 50m

Review:

Heretic is a wickedly sharp horror movie that uses dialogue and traditional scares to great effect led by devilish turn from Huge Grant.  Writer/Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods craft a wonderfully sleek film that grabs you right from the start and rarely lets up.  The claustrophobic feel inside Mr. Reed's house immediately adds a sense of danger.  It's a fairly standard set up which we've seen a million times before but as opposed to the usual killer trope, the villain here is more interested in breaking down their beliefs on a granular level.  It's hard to imagine anyone else but Hugh Grant being able to walk the tightrope between unassumingly charming and mentally menacing at the same time.  Grant's performance carries the film with his character serving as a sort of theological Hannibal Lecter as he breakdowns the missionaries mostly closely held beliefs.  He does this all with nary a sense of anger or vindictiveness coming through as he puts the missionaries through a series of mental gymnastics about the concepts of faith and religion merely because he can.  Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East play the unlucky missionaries who end up at the wrong house and attempt to match wits with their captor.  Thatcher is perfectly suited for the role of Sister Barnes who isn't the true believer her partner is.  Thatcher gives her character more of a street smart feel to her character as opposed to the more wide eyed naiveite of Chole East's Sister Paxton.  East does well as the doe eyed true believer who ultimately displays some impressive resilience.  They are both solid but the roles are fairly generic, mostly there to serve as sounding boards to Grant's Mr. Reed.  There was an opportunity to leave things more nebulous in its final act but it decides for more straight forward path in order to deliver some splatter on screen.  Its a minor quibble with Heretic as a whole especially considering everything put onscreen beforehand especially by Hugh Grant who gleefully plays against type.  

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE BOOGEYMAN

 

High school student Sadie Harper and her younger sister, Sawyer, are still reeling from the recent death of their mother. They're not getting much support from their father, Will, a therapist who's dealing with his own intense pain. When a desperate patient unexpectedly shows up at their house seeking help, he leaves behind a terrifying supernatural entity that preys on families and feeds on the suffering of its victims.

Director: Rob Savage

Cast:  Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, Vivien Lyra Blair, David Dastmalchian, LisaGay Hamilton, Marin Ireland, Madison Hu

Release Date: June 2, 2023

Genre: Horror, Mystery,Thriller

Rated PG-13 for terror, violent content, teen drug use and some strong language

Runtime: 1h 38m

The Boogeyman is a solidly crafted, well acted horror film which never takes full advantage of either by leaning too much on old school tropes.  Rob Savage's direction is more than capable of establishing mood and setting up scares throughout.  Those looking for a direct adaptation of King's original short story will likely be disappointed since the film only uses a small bit of it as a jumping off point before turning into a fairly predictable monster film that's been done plenty of times beforehand.  It's a shame since the original story was effectively unnerving and delivered a memorable ending that would have made this film something special.  Instead, the script uses increasingly predictable tropes and beats ultimately wasting a pair of strong performances from Sophie Thatcher and Vivien Lyra Blair.  Thatcher's turn in particular is deeply committed that you just wish she had better material to work with.  The Boogeyman isn't a terrible film by any stretch of the imagination but its definitely a forgettable experience that never lives up to its potential.  

C+