Maika Monroe reaches a creative pinnacle in Zachary Wigon’s Victorian Psycho. The film, based on the novel of the same name by Virginia Feito, is an exquisite portrait of a psychotic woman. Wigon brings the monstrous, Lizzie Borden-esque story to throbbing vitality through inventive camera work (think: the door-chopping scene in The Shining) and a throat-slicing performance from Monroe that makes for a horror all-timer, alongside the likes of Kathy Bates in Misery and Susan Tyrrell in Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker. Wigon and Monroe take great care with the material, offering up both thrilling irreverence and quiet veneration for womanhood.
Winifred Notty (Monroe) traipses through the countryside of 1858 England in search of a governess position. She soon arrives at Ensor House after Mr. Pounds (John Isaacs) inquires about her advertisement. The household, heralded by Mrs. Pounds (Ruth Wilson), welcomes her with stern glances and a host of questions about her mysterious, troubled past. Winifred will care for two children, Andrew (Jacobi Jupe) and Drissila (Evie Templeton), and teach them the essential subjects, as well as how to uphold societal restrictions about gender roles. Winifred strikes up a friendship with the house nurse, Miss Lamb (Thomasin McKenzie), and the two swap stories about work and other trivial topics.
During an outing to the nearby woodlands, Andrew discovers a brutally mutilated deer that appears to still be alive. A strange and cruel act by Winifred sends shock across his face and that of his sister. The more the children learn about their new governess, the more terrified they become. Winifred harbors such evil that they’ve never seen or even heard about before. Mrs. Pounds grows increasingly suspicious of her and catches Winifred wandering around the hallways at night. By the time the truth is revealed, it may be too late for the Pounds Family to survive.
If you look at Maika Monroe’s resume, you’ll notice that she frequently picks oddball roles in which to flex her acting chops. From Villains to The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and Longlegs, her work certainly speaks for itself. But that was all a primer for what she’s done in Victorian Psycho, the culmination of acting below the surface. She excavates the darkest and most chilling parts of the human subconscious. Monroe colors Winifred Notty with an absurdist view on psychological derangement—to the point where nervous laughter is the only appropriate response to what she does onscreen.
Zachary Wigon uses the camera for both humorous and emotional weight. Wigon frequently turns to pans, tilts, and pedestal shots to punctuate Winifred’s frantic and bizarre mental state, while also demonstrating a real knack for pure entertainment. Victorian Psycho is not only a fascinating character study, but also finds itself manipulating every trick in the book. And it all just works. When it comes to the collision of expert acting and incisive camera work, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Victorian Psycho recently made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
sink. your. teeth.
Leave a Reply