Eileen movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Eileen

This psychological thriller released in theaters a few weeks ago and is now available on Video on Demand on sites like Amazon Prime Video, Appl TV, and Vudu. See below for a coupon for those platforms!

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 36 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: B-

IN A NUTSHELL:

The story is about a young woman who works at a local youth prison. When a glamorous counselor arrives, Eileen is intrigued and tries to be more like the other woman, only to learn she has been led down a sinister path.

The femme fatale film was directed by William Oldroyd. Writing credits go to Marin Ireland, Luke Goebel and Ottessa Moshfegh. It’s based on the novel of the same name. Already, the movie has been nominated for 7 awards by various film associations.

THINGS I LIKED:

I’ve been a fan of Anne Hathaway for many years, so I was excited to see her in this. She’s excellent in this, of course.
Thomasin McKenzie has a knack for picking interesting films. Her laid-back personality and talent sneak up on you. I think the first time I ever saw her was in the movie Leave No Trace. I was touched by her performance and became an instant fan. She’s fantastic in this coming-of-age tale.
Now, add Siobhan Fallon Hogan to the cast and you have a powerhouse of female talent here. I adore her. She creates such fun characters.
Other cast members who also do a good job are Shea Whigham, Tonye Patano, Peter McRobbie, and Owen Teague. Co-writer Marin Ireland gives a powerful performance too.
We get to hear some pretty doggone good Boston accents from the cast that immerse us in the setting.
Lovely cinematography by award nominee Ari Wegner by British Cinematographer Magazine.
The film is a true character study.
The daydreaming scenes always provided a surge of humorous energy.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

This is definitely not a “feel good” story. My instant reaction during the closing credits was “ick.” It all felt a bit pointless. I haven’t read the novel the movie is based on, but I had the impression I was missing something that might have been in the source material. Unfortunately, based on what I saw in the film, I won’t be running to purchase and read the book.
Act 3 came as a shock and dramatic change of tone.
The movie poster is so dark that it’s hard to understand what’s being said.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Kids will be bored.
A young woman pleasures herself.
Drunkenness
Some profanity, including F-bombs
Some violence and blood
A lesbian awakening is portrayed

THEMES:

Jealousy
Prison
Gender
Desperation
Emotional abuse
Self-confidence
Influence on others

FUNNY LINES:

“Everyone’s angry here. It’s Massachusetts.” – Eileen Dunlop (Thomasin McKenzie)
“You’re different these days. You’re almost interesting.” – Jim Dunlop (Shea Whigham)

INTERESTING LINES:

“Some families are so sick and twisted, the only way out is if someone dies.” – Rebecca St. John (Anne Hathaway)
“You can’t count on men to fix anything.” – Dr. Rebecca St. John (Anne Hathaway)
“People are so ashamed of their desires.” – Rebecca St. John (Anne Hathaway)