Quick thoughts

VICTORIAN PSYCHO

I love Zachary Wigon, I love Maika Monroe, I love Weird Girl lit, so Victorian Psycho felt completely up my alley.

In his follow up to SANCTUARY, Wigon tackles the novel by Virginia Feito, about a governess named Winifred Notty who finds herself at Ensor house. It quickly becomes clear that Ms Notty may have some quirks that extend well past the norm, moving into something quite dark. Monroe perfectly brings this character to life, tackling the subtle humor, the at times unhinged line delivery, leading to an experience that’s equally funny as it is unsettling.

I’ve seen the novel described as ‘Jane Eyre meets American Psycho’, which Notty’s inner monologue absolutely reflects. But I will say in both the book and the movie, Notty comes across as a lot easier to root for when compared to Patrick Bateman. Though that only goes so far as the story continues to twist into her psychosis, often arguing with herself to not repeat her past mistakes.

Rounded out by some truly wonderful performances from the rest of the cast, fun filming techniques to help unsettle us as viewers. It’s also just a really fun era to play with in a gothic horror when it comes to a psychopathic woman. It hooks you from the opening line then takes us on the journey to get to what was promised, while still making room for some unexpected turns.

While I think this would have fit better at TIFF or SXSW, it was a really delightful Cannes experience around a lot movies that missed the mark for me. It’s great to see Maika back on the horror sphere.