For over a decade, Maika Monroe has been the silent, terrified, and increasingly resilient face of modern horror. From her breakout performance in the cult classic It Follows to the recent, genre-redefining box-office phenomenon Longlegs, Monroe has carved out a niche as the ultimate “scream queen” of the 21st century. Yet, despite a resume packed with supernatural dread and visceral scares, the actress admits that nothing in her storied career prepared her for the psychological disintegration required for her latest project: Victorian Psycho. Set against the suffocating backdrop of an 1858 gothic manor, Victorian Psycho represents a daring, stylistic departure for both its star and its director, Zachary Wigon. As the film prepares for its highly anticipated debut at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, the production is being heralded as a masterclass in “demented” storytelling, blending the rigid, claustrophobic hierarchies of the 19th century with a modern, razor-sharp sensibility. The Genesis: From Manuscript to Manor The project began not as a studio mandate, but as an organic collaboration between director Zachary Wigon and author Virginia Feito. The two were already working together on an unrelated script when Feito shared the manuscript for her then-upcoming novel, Victorian Psycho. The narrative, which follows the idiosyncratic Winifred Notty as she insinuates herself into the household of a wealthy family under the guise of a governess, immediately struck a chord with Wigon. He saw an opportunity to explore a theme he finds endlessly compelling: the agony of the outsider. “It’s fascinating to see an outsider who desperately wants to be an insider, and it’s simply impossible,” Wigon explains. “It’s a very, very deep paradox. She will never belong—and she will never stop wanting to belong.” The path to the screen was not without its hurdles. The project was initially optioned by A24 with Margaret Qualley attached to star. However, as is often the case in the volatile world of independent filmmaking, the original package dissolved. The film eventually migrated to Bleecker Street, with Monroe stepping into the lead role. Wigon reflects on the shift with professional pragmatism, noting, “It changed distributors, it comes with the territory of the volatile nature of independent filmmaking. We’re enormously pleased with all the support that Bleecker has given me to bring the film into the world.” A Character Study in Chaos For Maika Monroe, Winifred Notty offered a challenge unlike any she had faced before. In previous roles, Monroe often found ways to ground her performances in her own experiences or personal vulnerabilities. With Winifred, however, that tether was severed. “It terrified me. I knew that it would be the hardest role that I have ever done—and so incredibly different from anything I’ve ever done,” Monroe says. “There’s always a little part of me in roles that I do, something that I can ground it with or connect it with within my own personal life—but this role was really a departure from that. It was working from the ground up, creating this character where I couldn’t rely on my own self. It really, in the most magical way, took a toll on me. I felt it every day.” To embody a 19th-century serial killer, the preparation was exhaustive. Monroe engaged in weekly Zoom sessions with Wigon to master the intricate blocking, the period-accurate English accent, and the specific physical tics of a woman living on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Perhaps most notably, it was Monroe’s idea to utilize unsettling, visible prosthetic teeth, a choice that adds an immediate, uncanny layer to her performance. The Ensemble: A Tense Household The power of Victorian Psycho is amplified by the chemistry—or lack thereof—within the Pounds manor. The matriarch and patriarch of the estate are played by industry heavyweights Ruth Wilson and Jason Isaacs, both of whom kept Monroe on her toes during production. Isaacs, portraying the enigmatic and “slithery” Mr. Pounds, provides an unpredictable foil to Winifred. “Your eyes are just absolutely glued to him,” says Wigon. “He’s totally unpredictable, and his choices are always unusual.” Wilson, meanwhile, plays the wife with a calculated, desperate volatility. Monroe admits that working with Wilson was a transformative experience. “Some of my favorite scenes that I’ve ever filmed in my entire career were with Ruth,” the actress reveals. “Sometimes in the scenes, I would just be watching her, blown away by what she was doing—and I find her role actually incredibly challenging.” Providing a rare moment of respite is the character of Ms. Lamb, played by Thomasin McKenzie. The relationship between Winifred and Ms. Lamb serves as the film’s emotional anchor, highlighting the tragedy of a protagonist who is capable of connection, yet fundamentally broken. As Monroe notes, “Most times with people, they look at her with a bit of disgust and don’t understand her. And for the first time, she feels this bit of connection with a person.” Behind the Lens: Aesthetic and Tone Director Zachary Wigon’s vision for the film was to bridge the gap between historical period drama and modern, transgressive horror. While the film is set in 1858, Wigon insisted on a contemporary aesthetic approach. He describes the initial phase of the project as “engineering”—a mathematical focus on the structure of the narrative and the arrangement of scenes. Once the structure was in place, the tone shifted into what Monroe describes as “demented.” The visual language of the film is uncompromising. Wigon, having had access to the gothic manor used for filming well before production began, utilized a rigorous pre-visualization process. “We had almost everything in the shot list pre-visualized before we started shooting,” Wigon explains. “So, in a situation like that, there’s almost zero coverage. You don’t really shoot coverage in these situations because you want to max out what you can get stylistically. If you have a more sophisticated or complicated visual idea that’s going to come at the cost of coverage, that’s fine because you’ve visualized it.” This level of detail allowed Monroe to lose herself in the role. One particular sequence—a technically demanding technocrane shot requiring Monroe to be covered in fake blood in the freezing early morning hours—serves as a testament to the grueling commitment the cast and crew invested in the film. The Implications of "Manic Madness" As the film prepares for its May 21 premiere at Cannes, the buzz surrounding Victorian Psycho is palpable. It represents a significant moment for all involved: Wigon’s emergence as a distinct voice in genre-bending cinema, Bleecker Street’s commitment to bold, indie projects, and a career-defining turn for Monroe. For the audience, the film poses a difficult question: What happens when an unhinged individual finally receives the connection they so desperately crave? The film’s tension doesn’t just come from the blood-stained hallways or the missing household staff; it comes from the relatable, human desire for belonging, twisted into something unrecognizable. Monroe, looking back on the months of rehearsal and the grueling shoot, finds herself missing the character she helped create. “I had every scene memorized because you’re running the script so many times—it was so ingrained in my head, and I could still recite it for years to come,” she says. “This character might be the character that I miss the most.” When the curtain rises at the Cannes Film Festival, viewers will be treated to the result of that “manic madness.” Whether or not the audience is prepared for the experience, one thing is certain: after Victorian Psycho, Maika Monroe’s reputation as the reigning queen of horror will be solidified, not just through the screams she evokes, but through the profound, unsettling depth she brings to the screen. Victorian Psycho premieres on May 21 at the Cannes Film Festival. Stay tuned to our continuing coverage for more exclusives from Cannes 2026. Post navigation The Paradox of In Waves: When Animation Outshines Its Own Narrative
