– CANNES 2026: Zachary Wigon’s wickedly entertaining gothic comedy-horror is elevated by Maika Monroe’s gleefully unhinged performance and striking production design
Maika Monroe in Victorian Psycho
Screening towards the end of the Cannes Film Festival, the Un Certain Regard entry Victorian Psycho, directed by Zachary Wigon, is easily one of the guilty pleasures of this year’s selection. Based on the novel by Spanish author Virginia Feito, the film is a blend of classic Victorian novels, such as Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, and murder stories tinged with deprivation, as suggested by the title, which recalls American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis and its subsequent 2000 film adaptation directed by Mary Harron.
In 1858, young governess Winifred Notty (American actress Maika Monroe) arrives at the remote manor Ensor House. There lives the Pounds family, composed of Mr Pounds (Jason Isaacs), his wife (Ruth Wilson) and their two children, Andrew (Jacobi Jupe) and Drusilla (Evie Templeton). Over the course of time, strange things start happening and we discover that Winifred harbours a series of perversions that will alter the relatively dull life of the manor.
The governess becomes increasingly at odds with her hosts and only befriends the family nurse, Sarah Lamb (Thomasin McKenzie). After a series of twists and turns, we discover that Winifred Notty’s psychosis stems from a range of causes, and that it is too late to confront the trauma, as it has already spiralled into a full homicidal frenzy.
What makes Wigon’s film so extremely enjoyable are elements such as Jeremy Reed’s production design and the editing by Dustin Chow and Lance Edmands. In fact, the story flows with remarkable ease and every composition succeeds in building tension. The script is genuinely funny and there are multiple moments in which the absurdity of the events provokes uncontrollable laughter from the audience. One moment, Victorian Psycho is disgusting; the next, it is pure comedy. One moment it is frightening, gripping the audience to their seats, and the next it feels like watching a classic British period drama on a Sunday afternoon.
Maika Monroe, a “scream queen,” as it is popularly said in the industry, feels completely at ease in the role of Notty, accent and all. After starring in films such as It Follows and Longlegs, she probably had a great deal of fun with this half-comic, half-horrific character. The rest of the cast is equally well chosen, and the balance between genuine terror and tongue-in-cheek humour is consistently maintained.
Victorian Psycho is more an entertaining piece rather than a film that takes itself too seriously, and that is refreshing in a way. Themes of feminism and class struggle are touched upon, but always hinted at, never overly explained. It is left to the audience to engage with the material and uncover its hidden layers of meaning, should they wish to do so. Otherwise, the feature can simply be enjoyed as a thrilling and entertaining cinematic experience. After all, Zachary Wigon’s work does not ask to be taken too seriously, while still allowing the themes that characterise the book to emerge subtly, resulting in a film that can appeal equally to distracted viewers and more discerning audiences alike.
Victorian Psycho is a UK-US co-production, staged by British outfit Anton Capital Entertainment (also handling international sales) and US companies Anonymous Content and Traffic.
