Victorian Psycho Review: Maika Monroe Goes Crazy In This Erratic Mix Of Humor And Horror
by Chris Evangelista · /FilmAdd SlashFilm on Google:
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Horror-comedies tend to lean heavier on the "comedy" side of things than the "horror." But Zachary Wigon's "Victorian Psycho" attempts to do the opposite, giving the audience a gaggle of gruesome, unsettling moments punctuated by wry humor. It makes for an erratic viewing experience — you begin to feel the film would be better served staying in one lane rather than trying to make concepts like dead babies funny. Regardless, "Victorian Psycho" mostly succeeds due to Maika Monroe, who gives everything she's got as Winifred Notty, a psychotic governess who moves in with a wealthy family and proceeds to pile up a body count.
Her attempt at an English accent may be a bit spotty, but Monroe's commitment to playing crazy ultimately works, and works well. Her wry narration guides us through outlandish, blood-drenched moments as she spins a twisted tale. If the film's title (an obvious nod to "American Psycho") wasn't a dead giveaway, it's clear from the jump that Winifred is ... not well. A suspicious past follows her as she arrives at Ensor House, inhabited by the Pounds family.
Winifred may be deranged, but the Poundses aren't exactly a pleasant bunch. Mr. Pounds (Jason Isaacs) is oblivious, Mrs. Pounds (Ruth Wilson) is cruel and ruthless with the staff, and the children Andrew (Jacobi Jupe) and Drusilla (Evie Templeton) have their own issues (Andrew is a brat destined to grow up to be a bully and Drusilla is more than a little creepy). A sane person would take one look at the Pounds family and head for the hills, but of course, Winifred isn't sane.
Victorian Psycho lacks a certain amount of confidence
There's plenty of room for fun here, but "Victorian Psycho" is never confident enough in what it's trying to do. The performances are all very broad and big, save for the always-welcomed Thomasin McKenzie, playing the good-natured but clueless nurse Ms. Lamb, who becomes Winifred's only real friend (and instantly buys into her quickly concocted story about a ghoul roaming the grounds of Ensor House).
As big and over-the-top as many of the elements here are, "Victorian Psycho" also seems to be trying to make a point about the subjugation of women in polite society. Yet it has no real insight into this beyond a surface level approach, and it's hard to get caught up in any sort of message when the film is also constantly pointing out how ridiculous everything here is.
Wigon, who previously directed "Sanctuary," piles on some energetic camerawork that frequently mirrors Winifred's fractured mind, but the script by Virginia Feito, adapting her own novel, relies too much on incessant narration that's not nearly as funny as it should be. And yet, "Victorian Psycho" remains perpetually watchable primarily due to Monroe's performance. A certified scream queen at this point in her career, it's a lot of fun to see Monroe cut loose and swing an axe at people's heads.
Victorian Psycho is enjoyable enough, but could've been even better
"Victorian Psycho" is just a little too unstable for its own good. There's a specific reason why Winifred has shown up at Ensor House, but the slow reveal of what's going on here feels undercooked. And when the film reaches its grand guignol finale, Wigon inexplicably starts pulling punches, robbing "Victorian Psycho" of a more satisfying conclusion and instead attempting something far more serious and dramatic than everything we've seen so far.
What this all comes down to is me wanting to like "Victorian Psycho" a lot more than I ultimately did. I enjoyed Monroe's performance, and the film's morbidly funny atmosphere, but I came away from it all a tad unsatisfied. There's a ghoulish charm to the narrative, but the blood and guts of something far better is lurking somewhere in here, just out of sight.
/Film Rating: 6 out of 10
"Victorian Psycho" opens in theaters on November 13, 2026.