Bleecker Street has debuted the first footage of Victorian Psycho, a dark period horror film directed by Zachary Wigon and adapted by Virginia Feito from her own novel. The teaser trailer arrived alongside the film’s world premiere at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival—where it earned a seven-minute standing ovation—ahead of its September 25 theatrical release.
Starring Maika Monroe (It Follows, Longlegs) as Winifred Notty, the film is being framed as a psychological cross between Jane Eyre and American Psycho. Monroe plays an impeccably behaved governess at the eerie Ensor House whose polite exterior masks a volatile and bloodthirsty streak. While Winifred initially attempts to play the part of the model educator for her young charges, the suffocating environment and the eccentricities of the Pounds family eventually cause her self-control to snap. Her erratic behavior and late-night wanderings culminate in a destabilizing, violent climax on Christmas morning.
The ensemble cast also includes Jason Isaacs, Ruth Wilson, and Thomasin McKenzie.
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Interestingly, Maika Monroe stepped into the lead role after Margaret Qualley exited the project last year.
Today’s Cannes premiere took an emotional turn during the post-screening remarks when Wigon dedicated the project to the film’s late assistant director, Jim Corr. Reflecting on the intense production, Wigon noted that the crew was “always pushing to the limit” of their capabilities. He concluded with a somber tribute to Corr, who passed away shortly after wrap, noting that Victorian Psycho stands as his final work. “He was a phenomenally lovely person to work with,” Wigon told the Cannes audience.
Produced by Wigon, Dan Kagan, Sébastien Raybaud, and Nick Shumaker, the film aims to capture the same gruesome, witty energy found in Feito’s source material, which author Stephen Graham Jones once described as a book that “drips blood” in a way that actually makes the reader smile.
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