Maika Monroe has spent much of her horror career being hunted, stalked, or otherwise placed in serious danger. “Victorian Psycho” gives her a welcome change of pace: now she’s the one everyone should probably be afraid of.
Directed by Zachary Wigon (“Sanctuary”), the period horror premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival in May and now has a new trailer ahead of its fall theatrical release. Set in England in 1858, the film centers on Winifred Notty, an unusual governess who arrives at the gothic Ensor House to educate its children while hiding her own psychopathic tendencies. When staff members begin disappearing, the family starts wondering exactly who they’ve invited into their home.
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Virginia Feito adapted the screenplay from her novel of the same name, with Wigon producing alongside Dan Kagan, Sébastien Raybaud, and Nick Shumaker. Jason Isaacs, Ruth Wilson, and Thomasin McKenzie co-star, with Jacobi Jupe and Evie Templeton also among the ensemble.
The Playlist caught “Victorian Psycho” at Cannes, where Rafa Sales Ross found plenty to admire in the performances. Monroe commits hard to Winifred’s warped theatricality, building what Ross called a “deliciously twisted psychopath” through escalating tics, an undulating voice, and an affected English accent. Isaacs proves a strong scene partner, leaning into his pompous manor master with characteristic gusto, while McKenzie is a “welcome surprise” as the intensely religious nurse Miss Lamb. Jacobi Jupe also gets singled out as the “ideal rascal” among the younger cast.
Wigon also returns to the tonal balancing act that defined “Sanctuary,” moving between comedy and classic horror cues while pushing Winifred further into satire. For Monroe, it’s an especially juicy showcase, letting an actress so often associated with endangered women step fully into the role of the threat.
Bleecker Street releases “Victorian Psycho” in U.S. theaters on September 25.
