Eileen review – sapphic drama is equal parts seductive and reductive

Before director William Oldroyd’s new take on ostracised women, Eileen, there was Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara in Carol, a film that seemingly paved the way for a new sub-genre of sapphic cinema. At first glance, Eileen should neatly fall into place behind its predecessor – an eponymous title, an older woman with a selectively hidden past, a young ingénue who’s only too willing to mould her sense of being in said woman's image. Yet instead of another wintry watch in the queer canon, Eileen's narrative strays in its landing, choosing crime movie thrills over the blossoming, somewhat forbidden romance.

Based on the acclaimed Ottessa Moshfegh novel of the same name, Eileen is a tale that subverts audience expectations, sometimes frustratingly, but often to great effect. Playing the shrewd and untouchable Rebecca, Anne Hathaway sweeps into 1960s Boston with the sort of sharp mind and piercing stare that will trigger a sexual awakening in all who cross her. In stark contrast, Thomasin McKenzie’s Eileen is a 24-year-old homebody brought up as the worst kind of nepotism baby, sustaining continued abuse from her ex-cop father while she works in his former prison.

Eileen has everything at its disposal as to leave an unshakable lasting impression, then – and it achieves that, to a certain extent. In the first two-thirds of its runtime, at least, the tension between these women is both seductive and palpable. We yearn for a better lease of life for Eileen, just as much as we long for the pair to give into passion as they dance in a punter-speckled dive bar. However, in its last third, nothing is what it seems, with Eileen learning the full extent of Rebecca’s spontaneous temperament.

In a strange way, the sudden tonal change feeds into a bigger exploration of the lesbian experience. As a film, Eileen has arguably achieved a microcosm of what that might look like – even if it won't have fangirls and sapphic TikTok accounts jumping for joy. Watching a young, tortured, aimless woman fall into hidden lust with a stranger who projects a sense of unfounded confidence is a reality many will be able to connect with. Factoring in the unstable family background and mental experimentation with men only adds to that realism, with Oldroyd perhaps leading us to believe we’re all chasing exactly the same thing (though most never got to do it with gorgeous suburban cinematography and a soundtrack that thumps in anticipation).

Still, while the ending will certainly prove divisive, Eileen holds performance, dreams, and female masturbation in high regard – and it mostly pays off.

Eileen was screened as part of the Sundance Film Festival 2023. A UK release date is yet to be announced.