Victorian Psycho Opens in US Cinemas as Maika Monroe Turns Scream Queen Into Killer

Victorian Psycho, the gothic horror film led by Maika Monroe, opened in cinemas across the United States on Friday, 13 November 2026, through Bleecker Street. Monroe stars as Winifred Notty, an eccentric governess who arrives at a remote manor in 1858 and turns the household upside down in the bloodiest possible way.

The release lands as reviews pile in over the opening weekend, and the early verdict is split but leaning positive. Critics agree on one point above all: the film belongs to Monroe, whose ferocious lead performance carries a story told entirely from inside a killer’s mind.

Victorian Psycho — Quick Reference Summary

A Governess With a Secret at Ensor House

Winifred Notty takes up her post at Ensor House in the service of Mr and Mrs Pounds, played by Jason Isaacs and Ruth Wilson. She is hired to tutor their children, Drusilla and Andrew, played by Evie Templeton and Jacobi Jupe, with Thomasin McKenzie among the household as Miss Lamb.

Before long, members of the household staff begin to disappear, and suspicion settles on the new governess. The story is told from inside Winifred’s mind, in the manner of the Bret Easton Ellis novel its title salutes, and her own narration makes clear she is exactly what the family fears.

Monroe told Polygon she fell in love with the character while reading the script, and that rehearsals with Wigon explored the story of what led Winifred to this moment. She described the role as a massive departure from herself, and said the crooked teeth Winifred wears were her own idea, chosen partly to step further away from her own look.

From Cannes to a Friday the 13th Release

The film received its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival in May 2026. Its release was originally set for 25 September, then moved into the heart of awards season, landing on Friday the 13th.

That date feels entirely deliberate for a film this gleeful about misbehaviour. Victorian Psycho is showing in cinemas across the United States and Canada, and Bleecker Street has leaned into the timing in its marketing, with Monroe herself appearing in the final trailer to announce that tickets were on sale.

The production was filmed at a castle in Ireland, where crew members claimed to have had encounters with spirits. Monroe, 33, told USA Today she saw nothing firsthand, but the stories fit a shoot that leaned hard into the gothic atmosphere of its setting.

What the Critics Are Saying

Critical reaction has been divided but leans positive. On Rotten Tomatoes, 76 percent of 72 critics’ reviews are favourable, with the consensus praising Monroe for a ferocious lead performance and calling the film an enjoyably blood-soaked lark with literary wit. Metacritic scores it 52 out of 100.

SlashFilm, rating it six out of ten, praised Monroe while finding the narration less sharp than it should be and the finale restrained. The Hollywood Reporter called it a mismatched genre hybrid, while Awards Radar gave it three stars and wrote that the film lives and dies on Monroe, and that she is more than up to the task.

The pattern is consistent across the reviews: the movie around Monroe is thinner than her performance, but her presence is the reason to see it. Movie Opinions put it bluntly, arguing that the reviews agree the film survives on Monroe’s performance alone.

Monroe’s Decade of Horror, Reversed

For Monroe, the role extends a run that has made her one of the defining horror performers of her generation, from It Follows and The Guest to Watcher and Longlegs. Longlegs, the 2024 hit in which she starred opposite Nicolas Cage, cemented her status as a scream queen, and its producer Dan Kagan also produced Victorian Psycho.

The difference this time is the direction of the fear. Over the past couple of years, with films like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and Victorian Psycho, Monroe has graduated from the more passive survivor and traditional final girl to a more active and villainous agent. She told Polygon the change is one she welcomes, calling it a joy and empowering to feel in control.

Her next step is already filmed. Monroe recently wrapped They Follow, the anticipated sequel to It Follows, reuniting her with director David Robert Mitchell more than a decade after the original launched both of their careers. She told Polygon the return felt very special, and that fans will be happy with Mitchell’s vision.

The film’s influences are worn openly. Classic thrillers like American Psycho and The Shining were references for Winifred, who wears all black and carries a far-off gaze, and Monroe said Jack Nicholson’s performance in The Shining was a big inspiration. To develop Winifred’s quirks, she and Wigon also studied real-life psychopaths, sharing clips with each other during preparation.

As the opening weekend unfolds, the question for Bleecker Street is whether Monroe’s name alone can carry the film past its mixed reviews. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2026 ceremony showed this weekend how a single commanding performance can dominate a night’s conversation, and the Camp Flog Gnaw 2026 festival proved the same for live crowds at Dodger Stadium. Victorian Psycho is betting that the same holds true in cinemas.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Victorian Psycho open in cinemas?

Victorian Psycho opened in cinemas across the United States and Canada on Friday, 13 November 2026, through Bleecker Street. Its release had been moved from an original date of 25 September.

Who does Maika Monroe play in Victorian Psycho?

Monroe plays Winifred Notty, an eccentric governess who arrives at Ensor House in 1858 to tutor the Pounds’ children. The story is told from inside Winifred’s mind, and she is the killer at the centre of the film.

What is Victorian Psycho based on?

The film is based on Virginia Feito’s 2025 novel of the same name. Feito wrote the screenplay herself, adapting her own book, and Zachary Wigon directed.

What are critics saying about Victorian Psycho?

Reviews are mixed but lean positive. Rotten Tomatoes records 76 percent of 72 critics’ reviews as favourable, while Metacritic scores the film 52 out of 100. Critics broadly agree Monroe’s performance is the film’s strongest element.

Is Victorian Psycho connected to American Psycho?

It is not a sequel or remake. The title salutes Bret Easton Ellis’s novel, and the film borrows its device of telling a serial-killer story through the killer’s own narration, reset in the Victorian era.