Rebecca is a classic remake of the famous 1938 book of the same name that was later adapted to a 1940 film which won the Oscars for Best Picture. Basically, it is an ICONIC story that was re-adapted in 2020 but the modern version starring Lily James and Armie Hammer did not live up to expectations.
Here are 14 thoughts I had while watching the modern take of Rebecca:
1. It has a promising start. The gorgeous location, romance, bitter old woman defeated, and mystery of Max is intriguing and all over satisfying when they got married.
2. Both Lily James and Armie Hammer are playing recognizable roles. Lily is Mrs. de Winter, a woman who lost her parents and had to live with an evil older woman which is the same back story as Cinderella. Meanwhile, a rich Armie Hammer in an European city falling in love is basically another version of Oliver from Call Me By Your Name.
Image source: Disney / Cinderella, Warner Bros. Pictures / Call Me By Your Name
3. Their accents bother me. Hammer sounds noticeably American while the British Lily James gives off a non-European vibe. Or who knows, maybe I just never seen a European film set in the 1900s.
4. This nosey bish. She has enough money to buy all new furniture and wardrobe. Smelling Rebecca’s perfume and pulling out her hair from a hair brush is borderline creepy.
4. Mrs. Danver has got to be the scariest woman I’ve ever seen in cinema. Literally going to have nightmares about her.
5. The staffs give me Get Out vibes. Something just seems odd about them.
6. Thought this was going to be a period drama….it’s apparently a thriller? Romance? Horror? All of the above?
7. Okay I don’t mind if Mrs. de Winter runs away with Jack Favell. Max is too cold. This is why you don’t marry someone within days of knowing them.
8. Her outfits are cute though.
9. LOL
10. For someone who loves his wife, he sure was aggressive and distant. Also, if he just told you he killed his ex-wife – I’d run bro.
11. The de Winters are twisted but I’d still rather have them win out against Mrs. Danver. Mrs. Danver screams psychopath to me.
12. There are so many scenes that were added with little substance. For instance, why did Max randomly sleep walk into Rebecca’s bedroom? Why was there a girl dressed as Rebecca at the party? What was the point of this creepy man at the boat house? There was too much suspense for too shallow of a climax.
12. It would be nice to get a scene confirming if Rebecca was actually as manipulative as Max points her out to be. We don’t understand why they got married in the first place and why she feels the need to torment him.
13. Mrs. Danver’s death almost turns her into the hero of the movie but it is also pointless. Her life seems like a waste honestly and its telling audiences that covering a murder is morally correct. Although the de Winters don’t seem to be fully at peace either at the end so they weren’t the winners either. What. Was. The. Point?!
14. There are no heroes or villains in this story. While the journey follows Mrs. de Winter, she and Max obviously were not innocent for covering Rebecca’s death. But Rebecca was supposedly manipulative and wanted to die because she had cancer. Did that justify her murder? Perhaps the victim all along was Mrs. Danver who was in love with Rebecca but was lied to. The ending just left me confused honestly.
Ultimately, the film was enjoyable but it does not leave a memorable impression which is a shame given how classic the novel is. Perhaps the 1940’s film will be much more worth watching.
Overall rating: 7/10.
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