‘Eileen’ Is an Unvarnished Story of Liberation Through Self-Acceptance [The Lady Killers Podcast]

“Some people, they are the real people. Like in a movie, they’re the ones you’re watching, they’re the ones making moves. And the other people, they’re just there filling the space. And you take’em for granted. You think, they’re easy. Take a penny, leave a penny. That’s you, Eileen.”

Some people have family homes filled with love. The walls are lined with photos of celebrations, milestones, and treasured memories while the house itself brims with compassion and laughter. They are the lucky ones. Some of us have family homes that feel cold and empty. Whether from abuse or neglect, many must try to make the best of life with houses that feel more like prisons and parents incapable of expressing love. William Oldroyd explores this unique tragedy in his adaptation of Ottessa Moshfegh’s Eileen. The homes we see in this icy story may have once held love, but now they’ve become grim and dirty shells their occupants would kill to escape. 

Eileen Dunlop (Thomasin McKenzie) leads a solitary life. This anxious twenty-something spends her days doing secretarial work at a boys’ correctional facility and her nights caring for her alcoholic father. The retired cop seems to resent his daughter’s presence in the house even though he would literally die without her. When a dazzling new coworker named Rebecca (Anne Hathaway) takes a liking to Eileen, the lonely young woman allows herself to hope for an enchanting friendship, budding romance, and altogether happier life. But the relationship takes a startling turn on Christmas Eve leading Eileen to question the grim future laid out before her. 

In the latest episode of The Lady Killers Podcast, co-hosts Jenn Adams, Sammie Kuykendall, Rocco Thompson, and Mae Shults will wade into the chilly waters of this dismal film to discuss three complicated yet unknowable characters. How does Oldroyd’s adaptation compare to Moshfegh’s source material? Does Mrs. Polk (Marin Ireland) deserve her fate? Is this Anne Hathaway’s best performance and is there hope to be found in the story’s abrupt ending? They’ll answer all these questions and more while attempting to empathize with a perhaps intentionally off-putting heroine.

Stream below and subscribe now via Apple Podcasts and Spotify for future episodes that drop every Thursday.

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