History Creator / NicolasWindingRefn

** Mother/son incest features in multiple works.

* FanDisservice: A specialty of his. He can make very beautiful and handsome people distinctly ''unnerving'' to look at.
** A good example is Gosling in both ''Drive'' and ''Only God Forgives'', Mads Mikkelsen in ''Valhalla Rising'' and Abby Lee in ''The Neon Demon''.

** Most of his films center on violence, criminality and mythological theme.

** Refn's films usually feature heavy use of contrast and primary colors, with at least one scene bathed in a single color of light, usually red. Refn does this because he is colorblind such that he cannot see midtones.
** Behind the scenes, Refn usually shoots in chronological order because it's easier for him to think the film through. In the ''Pusher'' films, it was doubly helpful because it also helped the non-actor supporting cast in their roles.

* ViolenceIsDisturbing: ''Oh definitely''. Even the violence directed at [[AssholeVictim characters who had it coming]] can be hard to enjoy on account of Refn making it as [[{{Squick}} graphic and nauseating]] as possible. ''Film/Drive2011'', ''Film/OnlyGodForgives'', and ''Film/TheNeonDemon'' are especially notorious for their violence.

!!Refn's body of work provides examples of:

* AssociatedComposer: Cliff Martinez has provided the score for Refn's films since Drive.

* ViolenceIsDisturbing: ''Oh definitely''. Even the violence directed at [[AssholeVictim characters who had it coming]] can be hard to enjoy on account of Refn making it as [[{{Squick}} graphic and nauseating]] as possible. ''Film/Drive2011'', ''Film/OnlyGodForgives'', and ''Film/TheNeonDemon'' are especially notorious for their violence.

* ''Film/Drive2011'' (2011)

He entered the global mainstream with ''Film/{{Drive}}'', arguably his most well-known film.

* ''Film/{{Drive}}'' (2011)

* ViolenceIsDisturbing: ''Oh definitely''. Even the violence directed at [[AssholeVictim characters who had it coming]] can be hard to enjoy on account of Refn making it as [[{{Squick}} graphic and nauseating]] as possible. ''Film/{{Drive}}'', ''Film/OnlyGodForgives'', and ''Film/TheNeonDemon'' are especially notorious for their violence.

* HeAlsoDid: This director of stylish, transgressive films also directed two episodes of ''[[Literature/MissMarple Agatha Christie's Marple]]'', the Matthew [=McConaughey=] Lincoln commercials and a series of Danish beer commercials featuring actor.
* {{Irony}}: Despite directing ''Drive'' where he makes it look incredibly cool, he has never learned to drive and failed his test multiple times.

* ProductionPosse: All his Danish films have been scored by Peter Kyed and punkrocker Peter Peter, since Drive he has has Cliff Martinez provide the music, since working on Miss Marple, Matthew Newman has been his editor, Morten Søborg & Larry Smith are his cinematographers of choice and as far as actors are concerned he frequently casts Mads Mikkelsen (5 films), Zlatko Buric (4 films), Levino Jensen (3 films) and Gordon Brown (3 films).

** His soundtracks often include electronic music or punk rock. Notable pioneer of using '80s-throwback {{UsefulNotes/Synthwave}} music as a score.
** Refn's films usually feature heavy use of contrast and primary colors, with at least one scene bathed in a single color of light, usually red. Refn does this because he is colorblind.
** Behind the scenes, Refn usually shoots in chronological order because it's easier for him to think the film through. In the ''Pusher'' films it was helpful because it also helped the non-actor supporting cast in their roles.

* SunshineNoir: Many of his films feature noirish settings, graphic violence and focus on seedy antiheros, while often being set in sun-drenched surroundings.

* FanDisservice: A specialty of his. He can make very beautiful people distinctly unnerving to look at.
** A good example is Gosling in both ''Drive'' and ''Only God Forgives'', Mads Mikkelsen in ''Valhalla Rising'' and Abby Lee in ''The Neon Demon''.

----
!!Refn's body of work provide example of:

Nicolas Winding Refn (born 29 September 1970) is a Danish filmmaker who rose to prominence by writing and directing the ''Pusher'' trilogy. Prior to these films, the idea of a Danish crime film was laughable. Refn shattered that notion, crafting a trilogy that has become infamous for its bleak outlook and utterly uncompromising style. Born in 1970 to parents who worked in film, he moved to the United States when he was eleven and filmed ''Pusher'' when he was twenty-six. His films tend to focus on crime and violence, coupled with more existential themes like morality and spirituality. In recent years he seems to focus most of his films on larger-than-life masculine protagonists with violent tendencies.

Known in Denmark as "l'Enfant Sauvage".

** A good example is Gosling in both ''Drive'' and ''Only God Forgives'', Mad Mikkelsen in ''Valhalla Rising'' and Abby Lee in ''The Neon Demon''.

** ''Only God Forgives'' often sets karaoke lounge music against shocking violence

* Irony: Despite directing ''Film/Drive'' where he makes it look incredibly cool, he has never learned to drive and failed his test multiple times.

** His soundtracks often include electronic music or punk rock. Notable pioneer of using '80s-throwback {{Synthwave}} music as a score.

* ''Series/TooOldtoDieYoung'' (2019)

* MindScrew

* SunshineNoir: Many of his films feature nourish settings, graphic violence and focus on seedy antiheros, while often being set in sun-drenched surroundings.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nicolas_winding_refn.jpg]]

A Danish filmmaker who rose to prominence by writing and directing the ''Pusher'' trilogy. Prior to these films, the idea of a Danish crime film was laughable. Refn shattered that notion, crafting a trilogy that has become infamous for its bleak outlook and utterly uncompromising style. Born in 1970 to parents who worked in film, he moved to the United States when he was eleven and filmed ''Pusher'' when he was twenty-six. His films tend to focus on crime and violence, coupled with more existential themes like morality and spirituality. In recent years he seems to focus most of his films on larger-than-life masculine protagonists with violent tendencies.

* HeAlsoDid: This director of stylish, transgressive films also directed two episodes of ''[[Literature/MissMarple Agatha Christie's Marple]]'', the Matthew McConaughey Lincoln commercials and a series of Danish beer commercials featuring actor.

!!Refn and his body of work provide example of:

* {{Adorkable}}
* ArchEnemy: Of fellow Dane Creator/LarsVonTrier, with Refn apologizing on behalf of Denmark for von Trier's Nazi comments at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, the former co-owner of von Trier's production company Zentropa defecting to co-own Refn's company Space Rocket Nation and alleging that von Trier tried to have sex with his wife. Appearently, Lars von Trier is oblivious to the feeling.
* BerserkButton:
** While attending an acting school in New York he had an argument with a teacher and threw a desk into a wall. He was expelled shortly after.
** On the set of Pusher, he threw a pice of equipment on a crewmember who tried to wrap up a scene before Refn was done.

* HeroicBSOD: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGfu6AGkgHY This]] series of interviews from 2007, before he directed Bronson. Also doubles as HiddenDepths.
* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Despite his very controversial work, Refn is by all accounts HappilyMarried to actress Liv Corfixen, and is a dedicated family man.

* OneOfUs: He is apparently interested in making a ''ComicBook/{{Batgirl}}'' movie.[[invoked]]
* ProductionPosse: All his Danish films have been scored by Peter Kyed and punkrocker Peter Peter, since Drive he has has Cliff Martinez provide the music, since working on Miss Marple, Matthew Newman has been his editor, Morten Søborg & Larry Smith are his cinematographers of choice and as far as actors are conserned he frequently casts Mads Mikkelsen (5 films), Zlatko Buric (4 films), Levino Jensen (3 films) and Gordon Brown (3 films).

** Behind the scenes, Refn usually shoots in chronological order because it's easier for him to think the film through. In the Pusher-films it was helpful because it also helped the non-actor supporting cast in their roles.

* HeroicBSOD: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGfu6AGkgHY This]] series of interviews from 2007, before he directed Bronson.

* HeroicBSOD: [This https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGfu6AGkgHY] series of interviews from 2007, before he directed Bronson.

* HeAlsoDid: This director of stylish, transgressive films also directed two episodes of ''[[Literature/MissMarple Agatha Christie's Marple]]'', the Matthew McConaughey-Lincoln commercials and a series of Danish beer commercials featuring actor.

* ArchEnemy: Of fellow Dane Creator/LarsVonTrier, with Refn apologizing on behalf of Denmark for von Trier's Nazi comments at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, the former co-owner of von Trier's production company Zentropa defecting to co-own Refn's company Space Rocket Nation and alleging that von Trier tried to have sex with his wife.

** Once threw a pice of equipment on a crewmember who tried to wrap up a scene before Refn was done.

* HeAlsoDid: This director of stylish, transgressive films also directed two episodes of ''[[Literature/MissMarple Agatha Christie's Marple]]''.

** Most of his films center on violence and criminality.

** His soundtracks often include electronic music or punk rock.