Katherine (Florence Pugh) is in a loveless marriage with a much older man. She's held as a prisoner as her husband orders her to stay indoors. She catches the eye of stable hand Sebastian (Cosmo Jarvis) and is instantly attracted to Sebastian’s rawness, and the thrill of the chase begins. Meanwhile, Anna (Naomi Ackie), the house servant, grows weary of Katherine's presence. She is the only one that knows her mistress isn't the good girl she makes herself out to be.
Katherine's relationship with Sebastian is one-dimensional at best. The actors are tasked with portraying sexual energy and nothing more. Their love scenes aren't filled with sexuality and sensuality but are instead only harsh on the eyes and perverse in nature. It's unclear whether this is intentional or unintentional on behalf of screenplay writer, Alice Birch, but the foundation of Katherine and Sebastian's 'love affair' is built on a detestable level of abuse and privilege. It's enough to make you sick really.
Despite that, William Oldroyd managed to make a well-shot film. There is an eerie haze that hangs over every scene. It creates a terrifying, almost horror-film like atmosphere. The home Katherine inhabits is beautiful as much as it is a prison. It's minimalist in set design and contains a lot of dynamic editing to build tension in this rural, dank environment.
Upon the end of the film, I guffawed loudly after a major reveal. Not because what I saw was funny, but because, of the films major reveal. Other theater goers were horrified at my supposed jest, but that's because they couldn't identify with what was funny to me. How Katherine (Florence Pugh) lies, kills, and gets away with placing all the blame on other people. Even people who don't speak. Its Nerve-wrackingly funny. And depressing, so depressing that it's better to laugh than cry right?
Rating: C+
