Anne Hathaway’s Prison Psychologist Is an Alluring, Twisted Influence on Thomasin McKenzie in ‘Eileen’ Trailer

Anne Hathaway and Thomasin McKenzie are spiraling into something dark in the first trailer for Neon’s Eileen.

Directed by William Oldroyd, written by Ottessa Moshfegh and Luke Goebel, and also starring Shea Whigham, Marin Ireland and Owen Teague, Eileen follows McKenzie’s titular young secretary, employed at a prison during a bitter Massachusetts winter in 1964.

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The more than two-minute trailer teases a doozy of a day — “one of those days you’ll never forget” — for Eileen after the arrival of Hathaway’s Rebecca, the new prison psychologist. “She may be easy on the eyes,” one man says as he introduces her to prison staff. “But I assure you, she is very smart.”

The blonde-haired, pink-lipped smoker leaves Eileen feeling off-kilter, as someone who “lives a little differently than most people.” She sees something in Eileen, who is hardly normal and far from “average,” according to the psychologist.

“You got a big life ahead of you, I’m sure,” Rebecca says. “I bet you have brilliant dreams.”

Eileen quickly becomes enchanted by the new counselor, who develops a closeness with the younger woman. “Eileen, may I confide in you?” Rebecca asks in the trailer. “People are so ashamed of their desires.”

But their budding friendship takes a twisted turn after Rebecca reveals a dark secret that hurls Eileen onto a sinister path. “I have my own ideas,” she tells Eileen. “You can never tell anyone, you understand? Promise me.”

The trailer promises things will spiral out of control as the two carry on, with Eileen’s father admitting at one point he can’t even imagine her with a knife. “Can you imagine me with a gun?” she responds.

“That’s very good, Eileen,” Rebecca whispers. “Some things are so twisted, the only way out is for someone to die.”

Eileen is produced by Anthony Bregman, Stefanie Azpiazu, Peter Cron and Goebel. It releases in theaters on Dec. 1.

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