Time: 98 Minutes
Cast:
Thomasin McKenzie as Eileen Dunlop
Shea Whigham as Jim Dunlop
Marin Ireland as Mrs. Polk
Owen Teague as Randy
Anne Hathaway as Rebecca
Director: William Oldroyd

Eileen is a thriller which looked interesting from the trailers, mainly due to the cast including Thomasin McKenzie and Anne Hathaway in the lead roles. Overall, I thought it was pretty good even if I think it could’ve been better in some areas.

Eileen is an engaging crime drama and captivating and twisty thriller. It is worth knowing before going in though that this movie meanders a fair bit, and doesn’t quite have the driving force that you would expect from it. Really, it’s a character study of its protagonist Eileen (Thomasin McKenzie) and is a movie about longing and repression. Overall, I was quite into it. Later in the movie, it does take a sharp left turn later on that might not work for everyone. Despite the short runtime, it takes a while to move, but it also felt a little rushed, like it needed to be a bit longer to expand on some things. Really the only thing which I really didn’t like was its ending. It goes for some sort of ambiguous conclusion, and I don’t think that it worked for me.

The acting is one of the strongest parts of the movie. Thomasin McKenzie delivers another great performance in the lead and title role. She does well at conveying an effective air of mystery and showing the change in her character over the course of the movie. Anne Hathaway is also amazing as the woman that McKenzie becomes intrigued by. Hathaway commands a lot of screen presence, and shares great chemistry between her and McKenzie. Shea Whigham is really good as McKenzie’s father, and Marin Ireland is also great in her screentime.

It’s directed quite well by Willam Oldroyd. I like the visuals, especially with its great 1960s aesthetic. It has some very stunning cinematography and the production design and costume design add to the period piece feel. I also like the little bit of griminess that is conveyed here, which is fitting considering the story, characters and the setting. It also benefits from the moody score from Richard Reed Parry, adding to the noir feel.

Eileen is a solid, well directed and enjoyable thriller, with some great performances from Thomasin McKenzie and Anne Hathaway.