Known for his striking cinematography and eclectic use of music and sound in his movies, Nicolas Winding Refn is a Danish film director and screenwriter, primarily known for the Pusher film trilogy, and international cult hits from the mid-2000s to 2010s. Born in Copenhagen in 1970, film was a huge part of Refn's upbringing, with his father being a film director and editor himself, and his mother, a cinematographer. Refn saw Tobe Hooper's infamous '70s horror film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in his teens, and the movie had a profound effect on him, inspiring him to pursue a career in filmmaking with the intent of cultivating as many professional skills within the art as he possibly could. Refn's early career saw the director release crime thriller/dramas like the Pusher trilogy and Fear X. He went on to achieve international acclaim with pictures such as 2008’s Bronson, 2009’s Valhalla Rising, and most notably, 2011’s Drive. The latter marked Refn's first collaboration with composer Cliff Martinez, who went on to work with Refn on 2013’s Only God Forgives and 2016’s The Neon Demon. Refn's choice of sound and musical style for the Drive soundtrack (alongside Martinez's original score) proved to be so iconic that it paved the way for many nostalgic synth-driven film soundtracks and electronic acts for years to come, as well as a re-scoring project by the BBC and Zane Lowe, featuring a whole host of popular artists (such as Chvrches, the 1975, and Bring Me the Horizon) producing songs inspired by the film itself. In 2017, Refn compiled songs that had inspired the screenplay for The Neon Demon. The collection featured songs from decade-defining pop stars such as Dionne Warwick, Giorgio Moroder, and Suicide, as well as original tracks from Martinez and Refn's nephew, Julian Winding. ~ Rob Wacey, Rovi