Eileen
Thomasin McKenzie plays the title character in Eileen. She’s a young woman who lives with her abusive alcoholic ex-cop father (Shea Wigham) and works at a youth prison. Life is pretty dull. One of the only thrills she gets comes from touching herself while staring at a no-nonsense male guard. Clearly, she yearns for excitement, sexual or otherwise.
Excitement does indeed find her in the form of the new prison psychiatrist, Rebecca (Anne Hathaway), a woman who is intelligent, stylish, and beautiful – an amalgamation of everything Eileen thinks she herself is not. Rebecca appears to sense that this mousy secretary is drawn to her, and the two start up an off-kilter friendship that turns into a borderline obsession on Eileen’s part. I don’t want to give anything away, but the plot hinges on whether Rebecca recognizes that her admirer is troubled and, if so, whether she will help or take advantage of that fact.
This underlying mystery is the heart of Eileen. We aren’t sure who to trust. Eileen is sympathetic, yet also tormented, often fantasizing about killing herself or her father. Rebecca is a professional who openly acknowledges a desire to bend rules. Much of the film’s pleasure comes from observing the women’s interactions and attempting to figure out how their dynamic will evolve. Everything snaps into place during an unpredictable third-act twist that will leave your jaw on the floor.
The movie benefits greatly from the two stars. Hathaway has fun investing Rebecca with a mischievous streak. She plays the character as someone who knows the effect she can have on a room and isn’t afraid to put that effect into motion. McKenzie continues the streak of layered performances that she started with Jojo Rabbit and Last Night in Soho. The actress hits the right balance, capturing the quality of being internally distressed and trying to hide it from the world. She conveys a great deal through subtle gestures or facial expressions.
On the supporting side, there’s an impressive turn from Marin Ireland (birth/rebirth) as Mrs. Polk, the mother of an inmate Rebecca works with. To even remotely describe her role in the story would be a crime. To not recognize her work would be a bigger one. Ireland has an extended close-up monologue that is one of the finest pieces of acting you’ll see onscreen this year.
Eileen would have been strengthened by developing the main character’s work life more, particularly the infatuation with the male guard. Doing so would have made the insinuation of her erotic attraction to Rebecca more resonant. Otherwise, this is an alluring psychological thriller that takes you to places you don’t expect.
out of four
Eileen is rated R for violent content, sexual content, and language. The running time is 1 hour and 37 minutes.
