Eileen

Directed by William Oldroyd and written by Luke Goebel and Ottessa Moshfegh whose novel the film is also based on. Eileen (Thomasin McKenzie) is a young woman working on the local prison and daughter to an alcoholic father, unappreciated at work and disrespected at home. However her life changes when a new psychiatrist is appointed at the prison. Rebecca (Anne Hathaway) is Harvard trained, confident, smart and go Eileen mysterious and alluring. However, when Rebecca takes interest in the case of Lee Polk it takes Eileen and Rebecca on an unexpected journey that changes everything for Eileen.

Eileen is a dark and intriguing piece of storytelling, that while it didn’t completely work for me, it did plenty that kept me absorbed throughout, possibly helped by its 97 minutes run time.

It’s built on two strong lead performances. Anne Hathaway’s strong, confident Rebecca and especially Thomasin McKenzie in the title role, who appears vulnerable and unsure on the surface, but beneath that is a determined women who wants more. It is the alluring Rebecca who attracts Eileen and gives her the confidence to change, although not in the way Rebecca expects.

They are well supported especially by Shea Whigham as Eileen’s drunk and oppressive father and Marin Ireland, who plays Lee Polk’s mother.and delivers an incredibly powerful telling of the story of her son and husbands murder.

The story is dark in tone and it’s subject matter and while it is a touch predictable, the journey takes a few surprising turns. However, it does get a little lost in its own complexity, sometimes feeling muddled and confusing.

Eileen is a dark and intriguing story that, while not perfect, kept me interested throughout, even if it got lost in its own complexity at times. What makes it work is two excellent central performances from Anne Hathaway and particularly Thomasin McKenzie whose layered performance keeps you gripped. While not perfect it is original and interesting and worth a watch.