Certain films slipped through the cracks in the heat of the 2023 awards season. Everything released at that time was not going for the gold. Those smaller films attempt to achieve other successes. Outside of the awards season rush, some films simply want to be fun and exciting genre exercises. The 2023 psychological thriller Eileen wants to give viewers a twisty and divertingly fun time. The results get delivered in spades and offer moments of pure entertainment. This starts in the film’s basic premise, providing a Hitchcockian-like story.
Thomasin McKenzie as Eileen Dunlap in EILEEN. Photo Courtesy of NEON.
Eileen Dunlap (Thomasin McKenzie) works at a male corrections facility in 1960s Massachusetts. She is looked down upon by her colleagues and is stuck at home living with her former police chief, alcoholic, and abusive father, Jim (Shea Whigham). When her prison gets a new psychologist, Rebecca Saint John (Anne Hathaway), Eileen’s life takes a turn. This mysterious and charming individual shows Eileen the joys of life. Things seem too good to be true for Eileen’s new friendship until things take a sinister turn.
That sinister turn involves a tense and psychologically heavy cat-and-mouse game. To deliver that psychological plight successfully, it has to start with the direction and understanding of tone. Director William Oldroyd (Lady Macbeth) clearly understands the narrative rhythms of the screenplay, written by Luke Goebel (Causeway). Adapted from the novel by Ottessa Moshfegh, the story begins to transpire as a coming-of-age story. Audiences meet Eileen as someone with a wide-eyed innocence. Simultaneously, we are meant to feel sorry for her life’s lack of independence (and dire wanting). Viewers sympathize with her and understand why she needs her life to change. Once Rebecca enters the equation, viewers are forced to make an emotional pivot.
Anne Hathaway as Rebecca Saint John in EILEEN. Photo Credit: Jeong Park. Photo Courtesy of NEON.
This pivot comes from the one-two punch of both Oldroyd’s direction and the two central performances. Both Hathaway (Interstellar) and McKenzie (Last Night in Soho) seamlessly make viewers care about their journey. Their characters are both so damaged in their own right, but have something the other needs. Watching the two essentially dissect one another becomes a fascinating exercise. While Rebecca begins to see Eileen’s potential as a friend, prodigy, and something more, Eileen finds a sense of independence and agency. That interplay makes up a truly fascinating first half. Once certain characters’ true intentions are revealed, the story begins to go off the rails.
To avoid spoilers, the compelling character drama turns the motivations of the characters into soap opera-like drama. The emotional weight feels removed in favor of overly familiar and heightened situations. This also takes the characters down a road of stupidity. Certain decisions they make lose the sense of tension previously established. In other words, a real lack of logic takes away from the story’s emotional weight. Such a lack of emotionality also makes the ending suffer from predictability, the results of which lessen the impact of what has come before. It’s an unfortunate misstep with the strengths in front of and behind the camera.
L-R: Thomasin McKenzie as Eileen Dunlap and Anne Hathaway as Rebecca Saint John in EILEEN. Photo Credit: Jeong Park. Photo Courtesy of NEON.
William Oldroyd crafts a thrilling atmosphere that will keep viewers transfixed. Add the two central lead performances, and the momentum moves briskly until the finale. Once that momentum stops, the story’s narrative bite begins to break. With its new Blu-ray/DVD release, one would hope it’s loaded with unique special features. Unfortunately, this release does not have any. Without behind-the-scenes insights, viewers will feel cold once the credits roll. That makes recommending this new home release (and my specific DVD viewing) somewhat underwhelming.
Qualms aside, I recommend giving Eileen a watch. There are moments in the film that succeed in being quite entertaining, in large part due to the two central performances. As an exclusive exercise in style and tone, Eileen succeeds in just about every aspect. It’s the lack of bonus features that limits this home-release potential. With a lackluster third act, one would hope features could enhance those story decisions. What remains undeniable is that Eileen is by no means a bad movie. It is one that simply never reaches the potential of its excellent leads or its engaging setup.
No bonus features included with the release.
Available on digital January 2nd, 2024.
Available on Blu-ray and DVD January 30th, 2024.
For more information, head to the official NEON Eileen webpage.
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Categories: Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews, streaming
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