Rebecca

A romantic thriller that is engrossing to the core and serves us a delicious concoction of romance and suspense in a period era setting.

Cast – Lily James, Armie Hammer,

Kristin Scott Thomas, Ann Dowd, Keeley Hawes, Sam Riley

Director – Ben Wheatley

Screenplay – Jane Goldman, Joe Shrapnel, Anna Waterhouse

Based on – Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Plot

Maxim De Winters (Hammer), a wealthy young good looking widower meets an intelligent beautiful poor girl, falls in love & proposes.

For her, it’s a fairy tale world with a huge ancestral estate, palatial home and an army of staff.

But the world that the naive and clumsy girl steps into doesn’t seem as bright and sunny as their love story, with cold unwelcome vibes from the housekeeper, clipped staff and the aura of his dead wife hanging heavy.

There’s a past she knows nothing of, secrets she’s being kept from and hatred she knows not how to handle.

Soon she finds herself facing a shocking revelation and a calamity !

Analysis

This famous classic novel has been adapted to films numerous times, the most famous being by Alfred Hitchcock (1940). Critics say this latest adaptation is not dark enough for the classic gothic romance it was supposed to be.

 Bane or boon, but not having read this novel or seen the earlier films, I could enjoy its novelty value without the shadows of earlier ones or expectations or comparisons.

The film captures your heart right from the fist frame. It’s beautiful period setting, the blossoming romance and the fast paced leaps of story has you hooked. When the story turns grey, it gets deliciously suspenseful. The mystery, the shadows, the frames and the story telling turn this romance into a superb thriller.

The cast and the performances look great and add well to the look and feel of the film.

Overall, I loved the film for its its atmospherics, setting, performances and the great blend of suspense and romance. Definitely worth a watch for the lovers of this genre.