SunnyHello Nice effects though.

Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

Glucedee It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The Movie Diorama Well, I wasn't expecting that! A period drama I was told, a classy thriller I got. I can see why this deserves all the acclaim it received, it's absolutely stunning. A young lady lives a lifeless marriage, lacking a sexual spark. She embarks on a passionate affair with one of her husband's workers to which unleashes an unstoppable force for lust and power. I say unstoppable, I use that word lightly. My word, this woman is one manipulative puppeteer. Her ability to create deceit with ease, her authoritative power to control her workers allows her to get away with murder (quite literally...) and then her passionate affair paints a powerful portrait of a woman who gets what she wants. An utterly fierce narrative seizing female independence in a world dominated by men. What makes this film particularly more special, are Florence Pugh and William Oldroyd. The latter makes his directorial debut feature, exceptional might I add. Incredibly stunning segments showcasing the gorgeous landscapes of rural England and several static camera shots to allow some highly skilled one take scenes, particularly one moment involving a child on the sofa (extremely captivating and shocking...). Pugh commanded every scene, in fact the whole film was played through her fingertips. A tour-de-force performance, no doubt. Costumes and production were accurate and beautiful to look at, really captured the period age. The story itself takes a good third of the film to get going, but once one twist is revealed it just keeps spiralling out of control. By the end, I was hooked. My eyes were glued to the screen as we watch the lady of the house sit in silence. The silence really was piercing, very effective method I must say. Period settings may not for everyone, but I highly recommend you give this slow thriller a watch. Mesmerising and sensational.

cjkupras The story was idiotic and would only be considered intelligent by someone who lacks the ability to reason and think logically. It's another one of those just plain weird for weird's sake that passes for art nowadays. Has absolutely nothing to do with Shakespeare's Macbeth. Saw it in a small theater with only a dozen people in it and no one thought it was a good flick. Even the guy showing the movie apologized to the rest of us, justifying his selection based on reviews that stated it was up for awards in Britain. It was a free showing, but I'm still out an hour and a half of my life that I'll never get back. I gave it two stars because the camera was in focus for all of it.

SnoopyStyle In a 19th century English country estate, Katherine has been forced into a loveless marriage with Alexander Lester. He is unable to consummate the marriage. His father Boris is a strict ruthless businessman. While Alexander and Boris are away, the estate hands have stripped black housemaid Anna naked to be weighted like livestock. She has a passionate affair with the aggressive new groomsman Sebastian.This is great emotional and physical brutality throughout the movie. Sebastian is the classic bad boy and Katherine easily falls into him. She is more complicated than a heroine in distress. Florence Pugh delivers a performance beyond her age. There is so much stoic power and defiance in her. What she does with the chair made me laugh in disbelief. One expected a shrinking violet for her character at the start but she is much more delicious than that. She is a creature of beautiful ugliness.

hi_im_manic I agree with the majority of the finely articulated reviews previously posted. There are deviations from the novel that are inexplicable and a nuisance. Firstly, the geography, moved from Russia to Scotland yet the characters indicate a tale better suited to the American South. It's vigorous exercise to accept that certain events and behaviors took place. If they were excluded though, it would have made for a much less entertaining film! The pacing was brilliant, not too slow not fast. It's hard to judge how much time has lapsed. How long was Katherine subjected to harsh subservience following her wedding before the "Masters" left her? How long did she toy with Sebastian and take daily strolls before he appears at her bedroom door? How long did their torrid, carnal affair last before the Masters of the home returned? There are indications that long periods lapse between each event but one cannot be certain.The setting was subtly striking and realistic. It's not opulent nor colorful as seen in other period films. The most colorful object is a royal blue, restrictive dress Katherine wears as she sits silently, austierly... quite literally bored stiff. The furnishings and style of decor show great attention to detail and accuracy. As others have mentioned, only the breed of the cat is maligned to the time period. I didn't find it to be a bother, I was pleased a cat was there at all since they were necessary in manors. Most of the characters are nasty, unsavory people with little or no redeeming qualities. Poor long- suffering Anna, an indescript servant girl, the Grandmother Agnes, and little Teddy are the only ones with measurable humanity. They add heart where there's otherwise nothing but selfish indignity and ruthlessness.Katherine is a cunning villianess, a sociopath from the high class. She's not only driven by boredom, rebellion and lust but deep seated sadism, entitlement, and indifference for others. She has no remorse for her actions, not ever. That's the very definition of an anti-social personality. Perhaps her husband rejected her because he could read behind her facade.A more likely explanation for the husbands rejection and objectification of Katherine is that he did not want to give the father he resented the satisfaction he desired. He too, was rebellious and felt restricted. Thus, he fathered a bastard child with an "inappropriate" woman, and when his controlling father BOUGHT him an "appropriate" bride and demanded an heir, he resented it and refused to comply. His motivation seems clear enough to me. Sweet little Teddy, the aforementioned "bastard" child should have been embraced by his paternal family not hidden away, and he should be the rightful heir to the estate. When he comes to claim his birthright we know he stands little chance. When Katherine unexpectedly warms to Teddy, and we watch their relationship develop, we have hope. We see genuine gentleness. Hope is short-lived as Teddy's presence becomes inconvenient. He becomes another victim of Katherines scheme that she and Sebastian live as Queen and King of the manor. Katherine's plan was doomed even with the murderous elimination of human obstacles. Even moreso, because of them. I believe Sebastian would soon be fed up with her smothering ways and selfishness and he would have jetted. Sebastian was impetuous, selfish and predatory but he was not beyond feeling guilt or regret. I don't think that Katherine revealing that she was pregnant would have kept him there either. In the last moments of the film, with Sebastian, Anna, and Agnes now fine we see Katherine contemplating her predicament. She's pregnant, alone, and the birth of the child will be her undoing. One shudders to imagine how she'll eliminate the next victim.Character development is well communicated, even in silence. It was beautiful to watch how well the performers conveyed their thoughts and emotions with a simple stare or expression. The direction was near flawless in this respect. The camera- work was also noteworthy with picture-perfect framing and angles, and also with the scenic shots. The last 12 months have been cinematically impressive ones, producing works such as this. It is another that I will eagerly add to my collection.