Copenhagen Cowboy Trailer: Nicolas Winding Refn Brings His Neon To Netflix

Are you ready for a taste of ... Netflix Winding Refn?

Yes, filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn (the "Pusher" trilogy, "Bronson," "Drive," "The Neon Demon") has returned to his native Denmark for his newest project, "Copenhagen Cowboy." His second venture into the world of streaming after the 2019 crime drama "Too Old to Die Young" but his first with Netflix, "Copenhagen Cowboy" is a six-part tale centered on a mostly-silent, enigmatic lead prone to shocking outbursts of violence as they undertake a dangerous odyssey across a neon-soaked criminal underworld. It is, in other words, a Nicolas Winding Refn creation through and through.

In this case, however, "Copenhagen Cowboy" was actually cooked up during the pandemic lockdowns by Refn, his wife Liv Corfixen (who's also a producer on the series), and their daughter Lola Corfixen, the latter of whom co-stars as the character Rakel. Speaking at a press conference at the 2022 Venice Film Festival (via Deadline), where the show made its debut, Refn described the series' protagonist, Miu (Angela Bundalovic) as a "larger female evolution" of the archetype featured in his previous work (as played by Mads Mikkelsen in "Valhalla Rising" and Ryan Gosling in "Drive" and "Only God Forgives"). "So, I said, 'I'm going to make my version of a superhero show.' And that was the kind of aspiration to do it."

The "Copenhagen Cowboy" trailer is mostly just vibes combined with some vague references to the actual revenge plot — but, then again, does anyone expect anything else from Nicolas Winding Refn at this stage in his career? Between the bisexual lighting and preternatural compositions of Magnus Nordenhof Jønck's cinematography and the moody synth score by Cliff Martinez, Peter Kyed, Peter Peter, and Julian Winding, the world of "Copenhagen Cowboy" looks like it exists somewhere between everyday reality and a fairy tale setting, like so much (all?) of Refn's output since "Drive." Suffice it to say, this one isn't interested in converting anyone to the cult of Refn. You probably already know whether you're keen on buying what it has to sell.

"Copenhagen Cowboy" begins streaming on Netflix on January 5, 2023. Its official synopsis reads as follows:

"Copenhagen Cowboy" is a thrill-inducing, neon-drenched noir series set across six episodes which follows enigmatic young heroine, Miu. After a lifetime of servitude and on the verge of a new beginning, she traverses the ominous landscape of Copenhagen's criminal netherworld. Searching for justice and enacting vengeance, she encounters her nemesis, Rakel, as they embark on an odyssey through the natural and the supernatural. The past ultimately transforms and defines their future, as the two women discover they are not alone, they are many.