Opening in theaters on November 13th is the new horror thriller ‘Victorian Psycho‘, which was written by Virginia Feito, based on her own novel, and directed by Zachary Wigon (‘Sanctuary‘).
The film stars Maika Monroe (‘Longlegs‘), Thomasin McKenzie (‘Last Night in Soho‘), Ruth Wilson (‘Luther‘), and Jason Isaacs (‘The White Lotus‘).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Maika Monroe and Jason Isaacs about their work on ‘Victorian Psycho’, their first reaction to the screenplay, their characters, the film’s tone, and working with director Zachary Wigon.
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Moviefone: To begin with, Maika, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and what were some of the aspects of your character that you were excited to explore on screen?
Maika Monroe: Oh, I loved the script so much. I loved Winifred too, because I knew that it’d be a massive challenge and push me out of my comfort zone. But, there was just such a deep draw to play this role. Then I met Zach, he he had such a vision. So, it just felt like something that I had to do.
MF: Jason, can you talk about the challenges of making this film and what you enjoyed most about playing this character and working with the cast?
Jason Isaacs: Well, one of the challenging things is that we shot in a haunted castle, and I was terrified the whole time. I didn’t want to go. There was a room that Zach said was Mr. Pound’s bedroom. We just see him coming out of there. We did the interior somewhere else. I said, “No, I’m not coming out of that room. That is the haunted room.” That’s one of the most challenging aspects. I’ve got the most fun thing, and maybe the reason I did it, is because it’s an outrageous film and it’s a very heightened reality. It’s not naturalistic, but it also has to be realistic enough that as an audience member, you don’t think you’re watching a sketch. So, to try and find the right tone to play these scenes out in and to make it watchable so this thing floats and it really works. It’s beautiful. It really works for the crowd. Any wrong note anywhere might have punctured that balloon. So to trust Zach and to trust Maika, who seems to be believable, truthful, grotesque and enormous. I guess that’s the style we were going for. So it’s rare as an actor that you get to do something so unusual.
MF: Finally, Maika, what was it like collaborating on set with director Zachary Wigon and was tone something you discussed with him before shooting?
MM: Definitely. Yeah, we had a ton of rehearsals because we really wanted to make sure. It obviously is a very heightened movie, but we wanted to bring as much as we could. She’s coming from a grounded place, a person that’s broken, a person that has had the things in her life shape who she is. So, once we had that base, we can could dial it up.
What is the plot of ‘Victorian Psycho’?
In 1858, an eccentric young governess, Winifred Notty (Maika Monroe), arrives at the remote gothic manor Ensor House. As Winifred assimilates, staff begin to inexplicably disappear, and the owners wonder if something is amiss about this new governess.
Who is in the cast of ‘Victorian Psycho’?
- Maika Monroe as Winifred Notty
- Thomasin McKenzie as Ms. Lamb
- Ruth Wilson as Mrs. Pounds
- Jason Isaacs as Mr. Pounds
- Jacobi Jupe as Andrew Pounds
- Evie Templeton as Drusilla Pounds
- Amy De Bhrún as Mrs. Fancey
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