A new teaser trailer dropped May 21 for Victorian Psycho, a gothic horror film starring Maika Monroe as a homicidal governess in 1858 England, timed to the movie's world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
The film, directed by Zachary Wigon and based on the 2025 novel by Virginia Feito, follows Winifred Notty, a young governess who arrives at a remote estate called Ensor House to teach the children of Mr. and Mrs. Pounds. Staff soon begin disappearing under mysterious circumstances, and suspicion falls on the eccentric newcomer. Feito, who wrote the novel, also penned the screenplay adaptation.
The teaser trailer is set to the punk track "Throw Yourself to the Sword" by Die Spitz and opens with Monroe delivering an unsettling classroom monologue to her young charges. "What is the most important thing in life? Knowing good from evil," Monroe says in the trailer. "But what is evil? Can you touch it? Can you smell it? Can you taste it on your tongue? Can you feel it rolling around inside you? Squeezing hard?"
According to IndieWire, Monroe has been a recognizable presence in horror for about a decade, from her early breakout in It Follows to her role as an FBI agent in Neon's Longlegs. Victorian Psycho marks something of a tonal shift, drawing comparisons to the gothic atmosphere of Crimson Peak.
The film also stars Thomasin McKenzie, Ruth Wilson, and Jason Isaacs. Wigon is best known for his 2022 film Sanctuary, starring Christopher Abbott and Margaret Qualley. Qualley was originally set to lead Victorian Psycho before exiting the project in 2025.
Bleecker Street holds U.S. distribution rights and plans a nationwide theatrical release later in 2026. The film is produced by Dan Kagan, who also produced Longlegs, alongside Liz Siegal, Sebastien Raybaud, and Wigon. Anton is fully financing the picture and handling international rights distribution. True Brit will release the film in the United Kingdom.
