William Oldroyd’s Eileen is based on Ottessa Moshfegh’s book of the same name. Eileen portrays the titular character played by Thomasin McKenzie in her early 20s living with her alcoholic and abusive father in 1960s Massachusetts. She spends her days working as a secretary at Moorhead Correctional Facility, and everything changes when the facility hires Anne Hathaway’s character Rebecca as the new counselor. Aside from the two main characters, the heaviness of the story relies on (Sam Nivola) Lee’s life. The viewers meet the patricide in the correction facility when Rebecca gets curious about the real backstory. Through Lee’s mother Rita Polk (Marin Polk), we get to know about the horror Lee has been through as a child.
Anne Hathaway’s Rebecca Stands Out As Eileen
HOC Rating – ★★★★★
Rebecca’s appearance in the film turns the plot, making Anne Hathaway the main character. The outfit, the accent, the aura, or just her casually smoking a cigarette, every speck of Anne Hathaway in the film is IMMACULATE. The queer subtext in Eileen is more of a motivation for what follows than the sense of urban loneliness that powers the novel. Rebecca and Eileen share a kiss outside of X-Ville that strengthens Eileen’s infatuation towards the counselor. This leads to the twist when Rebecca asks Eileen to be her partner in crime as she has Rita Polk tied up in her basement. Throughout the film, Eileen’s homicidal hatred towards her father and suicidal ideas are presented through certain scenes. When she shoots Rita, her fantasy turns into reality, representing Eileen as the darker character in the film. This is also one of the biggest changes in the adaptation, as originally in the novel, it is Rebecca who pulls the trigger.
One of the details that remains consistent in both the novel and the movie is that Rebecca disappears abruptly. Her character plays a major role in turning the life of Eileen upside down. After the incident with Rita, Eileen takes the dead body to her house and waits for Rebecca to come. However, that never happens. Eileen leaves the dead body inside the car at a secluded place for it to burn down eventually. The film ends with the titular character taking an 18-wheeler vehicle and a giddy relief on her face.
Some might say the ending was underwhelming, however, the story wasn’t about a perfect ending. Oldroyd brilliantly managed to forge the dark mood of the film. However, the twist doesn’t land as immaculately as one might think. This film is not for casual viewers. If you are someone who watches psychological drama and thrillers for fun, the turning point of the film will likely underwhelm you. Unlike the book, the film is fast-paced. Eileen doesn’t predominantly deal with the titular character’s life. After reading the book, I was fascinated by how Ottessa Moshfegh and Luke Goebel made Eileen and Rebecca’s connection the highlight of the film. It’s one of the best book adaptations of 2023 and you must watch it.
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