Rebecca : Film Review

Rebecca is a Romantic Thriller film directed by Ben Wheatley. The story is based on the book "Rebecca" by Daphne Du Maurier and screenplay by Jane Goldman, Joe Shrapnel, and Anna Waterhouse. It stars Lily James, Armie Hammer, Kristin Scott Thomas, Tom Goodman-Hill, Keeley Hawes, Sam Riley, and Ann Dowd in the main roles. Rebecca was released on 21st October 2020 on Netflix

The story revolves around a woman (Lily James) who works as a maid lady for Mrs. Van Hopper (Ann Dowd). She (Lily James) meets Maxim De Winter (Armie Hammer) one day, and the two falls in love. Maxim takes her, now her name is Mrs. De Winter, to a mansion in Manderley where Maxim used to live with her dead wife, Rebecca. Mrs. Danvers (Kristin Scott Thomas), the caretaker of the mansion says to Mrs. De Winter that the ghost of Rebecca is still in this mansion and she could never replace her. Maxim feels uncomfortable talking about Rebecca and even the maids don't take Mrs. De Winter seriously. So the question is who was Rebecca actually and how did she die? Is Rebecca's ghost still lurks around those dark halls of the mansion? Will Mrs. De Winter be able to get out of this hell she's living in? 

The story is adapted from the book "Rebecca" by Daphne Du Maurier and the screenplay is by Jane Goldman, Joe Shrapnel, and Anna Waterhouse and I must say it's very intriguing. The first twenty to twenty-five minutes of the film reminds you of Fifty Shades and you get invested in the characters from the start, especially the effective Lily James. The first thirty minutes is enough to fall in love with the movie and the characters. It has many light-hearted moments and love scenes supported by the striking chemistry of Armie and Lily. It doesn't waste any time, shifting the movie from light to dark tone where Mrs. Danvers gets the spotlight to shine. The screenplay is very engaging and captivating enough to absorb you for two hours. However, I find it slightly weird that Rebecca is almost everywhere but nowhere at the same time. It surely gives the creepy vibes and keeps the mystery alive but the makers could've cast someone to play Rebecca to show what she has gone through and her sufferings and all. 

Lily James as Mrs. De Winter is fabulous. What an amazing actress she is! She is lovely and innocent in the first half and in the end, she's so mature and smart and she's has portrayed it incredibly well. Armie Hammer as Maxim De Winter is good but has less screentime as compared to Lily. Another excellent performance is by Kristin Scott Thomas as Mrs. Danvers, the caretaker of the mansion, and is so cunning and devious and always plays tricks to embarrass Mrs. De Winter, and her attachment towards Rebecca is very well executed. She has played the role of villain remarkably and she'll surely give you the chills.

Rebecca directed by Ben Wheatley, is enchanting at the start, because of the good looking lead actors and their stunning chemistry supported by excellent cinematography by Laurie Rose. When the film shifts to Manderly, from then the film becomes very interesting especially the character Rebecca which is very intriguing despite no one was cast in that role. The mansion's large halls and rooms are a treat to watch. The film was not that impactful but I'll not deny that I liked the film and it's entertaining enough. Stream it on Netflix.

Rating:- 3/5

Now streaming on Netflix.