TMS Movie Review: Eileen
(Neon)
Every once in a while, I’ll wonder where the prison drama genre went. Where are the likes of Stuart Rosenberg’s Cool Hand Luke (1967) and Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption (1994) in the 2020s? Instead of going into my theories regarding this, I’ll point to a new prison set thriller that will do the trick for those missing this type of screen story. Last week we had a younger, unhinged brunette woman obsessing over an older blonde woman in Todd Haynes’ May December; this week we have the same pairing in a different sinister setting with William Oldroyd’s Eileen.
During a chilly winter in 1960s Massachusetts, Eileen Dunlop (Thomasin McKenzie) has virtually no life outside of her office job at a local prison for young men and aiding her crude, alcoholic father, Jim (Shea Whigham); who has become a recluse since being let go from the police department. While regularly pondering some eerie, unsettling thoughts, Eileen becomes fixated on the new building psychologist, Rebecca St. John (Anne Hathaway), who is more sophisticated and interesting than anyone else in town.
(Neon)
Owen Teague and Marin Ireland co-star, while Luke Goebel and Ottessa Moshfegh adapted the screenplay from Moshfegh’s 2015 novel of the same name. While some were anticipating Eileen to be along the lines of Todd Haynes’ mid-century romance Carol (2015) when it premiered at Sundance way back in January, it’s actually more in line with Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (1976). The title character is basically the gender reverse of Travis Bickle. No friends, no hobbies, the same routine every day, detached from society and aware she has some bad ideas in her head. Rebecca is the good looking blonde who fascinates Eileen the same way Cybill Shepherd’s Betsy did to Travis, although here the lead is idolizing as well as crushing on the other woman. Hathaway has already proven she’s a fine actress in the past 20 years, but McKenzie’s brilliance just continues to shine and grow here as Eileen. Though not as profiled as peers like Anya Taylor-Joy or Olivia Cooke, the petite brunette is just as versatile and talented to have her own spot in current cinema.
Ignoring some dodgy fake New England accents and a slightly rushed ending, Eileen is worth a viewing for anyone interested in some memorable performances from the stars and a retro crime drama this winter.