Maika Monroe Goes Full Psycho in Zachary Wigon’s Ultra-Violent ‘Victorian Psycho’ [Cannes]

Here’s the trailer for Victorian Psycho by Zachary Wigon.

I actually just got out of the Cannes screening. It’s part of this year’s Un Certain Regard sidebar, but it probably would have been a better fit for Midnight. This is an over-the-top, ultra-violent, preposterous film.

Reviews are positive: IndieWire (B), Screen, Next Best Picture (8/10), The Wrap, and The Film Stage all have kind words to say.

Wigon, who directed the indie chamber piece “Sanctuary,” originally had “Victorian Psycho” set up at A24, but the indie studio later dropped the film, which eventually landed at  Bleecker Street.

Set in Victorian England, the story follows an eccentric governess who arrives at a remote Gothic manor, only to stir suspicion that she is not quite what she seems. Maika Monroe stars in the lead role, replacing Margaret Qualley, who suddenly bowed out due to a scheduling conflict. The cast also includes Jason Isaacs as the patriarch and Thomasin McKenzie as the daughter. The screenplay is adapted from the novel by Virginia Feito, who also penned the adaptation.

Monroe is completely unhinged here. I don’t think there’s any other way to describe her performance. She plays a woman who is absolutely turned on by blood. Beware of anyone who describes herself as “the sanest person I’ve ever met.” She goes to 11 with her acting. No subtlety whatsoever.

The visual style is also outlandish. The humor ranges from absurd visual gags to gooey violence. There are tilted frames, upside-down shots, and restless camera movements — all of which are meant to represent her psyche. This is basically a Victorian version of “American Psycho,” and right before the screening, Cannes chief Thierry Frémaux mentioned that Brian De Palma had emailed him, proud that the film was being screened at Cannes — I can see his influence here as well.

Monroe has turned into a sort of scream queen, building a considerable filmography of frighteners, including Longlegs, It Follows, Watcher, and The Guest. She is set to shoot an It Follows sequel this summer.