Victoria’s gothic drawing-room becomes a stage for a governess’s unraveling in Zachary Wigon’s Victorian Psycho, adapted from Virginia Feito’s novel.
Maika Monroe plays Winifred Notty, a tutor who insists she’s perfectly sane even as signs of danger accumulate around a Yorkshire estate. She navigates a tense dynamic with the Pounds children, Andrew and Drusilla, as strange disappearances and whispers of a “ghoul” in the woods swirl through the household.
Wigon, working from Feito’s own adaptation, threads references to American Psycho and Mary Harron’s cult classic into a period-mirroring satire. But the movie frequently circles the same territory without delivering a fresh edge, leaning on melodrama rather than sharp social critique. The third-act explanation comes across as a tired twist rather than a meaningful revelation.
Technically, the film has its moments: Nico Aguilar’s camera work offers some striking visuals, and a crisp edit from Dustin Chow and Lance Edmands keeps the pace taut. Despite these flourishes, the core ideas feel derivative, and the overall impact is muted rather than provoked.
In the end, Victorian Psycho raises important themes about gendered violence in the era, yet its broad approach dilutes its impact. It may charm with atmosphere and its period mood, but it doesn’t fully challenge or transgress the conventions it mirrors.
Source: Original article
