Eileen film: release date, plot, trailer, cast with Anne Hathaway, is it based on novel by Ottessa Moshfegh?

Eileen is the period psychological thriller that will leave you gasping. Directed by William Oldroyd (Lady Macbeth) and based on Ottessa Moshfegh’s debut novel of the same name, it's already got rave reviews thanks to its successful premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.

Set in a Boston prison in the 1960s, Eileen features a stand-out cast. Anne Hathaway (The Princess Diaries) takes on the role as the mysterious and intoxicating Dr Rebecca Saint John with Thomasin McKenzie (Last Night in Soho) as our lead as the naive and impressionable Eileen Dunlop.

It already boasts an impressive 88% score on Rotten Tomatoes. So, what is Eileen about, is there a trailer and when is it released in cinemas in the UK? Here's everything you need to know.

What is Eileen film about?

Eileen is based on the debut book of the same name by award-winning author Ottessa Moshfegh. Here is the official synopsis: "Eileen follows a peculiar young woman whose dreary life stretches on toward unending misery. In frigid 1960s Boston, Eileen (played by Thomasin McKenzie) shuffles between her father’s dingy, emotionally haunted home and the prison where she works alongside colleagues who have ostracised her. When an intoxicating woman (played by Anne Hathaway) joins the prison staff, Eileen is immediately taken with her. Just when the possibility of a salvational friendship (or maybe more) takes hold and forms a singular glimmer in Eileen’s darkness, her newfound confidant entangles her in a shocking crime that alters all.”

Eileen film: Is there a trailer?

Yes, Neon released the trailer last month, you can watch it below.

Who stars in Eileen?

Eileen features an impressive cast with Thomasin McKenzie leading the way as secretary Eileen Dunlop alongside Anne Hathaway as the new prison counsellor, Dr Rebecca Saint John.

In an interview with Vanity Fair about Eileen, McKenzie remarked on meeting Hathaway, revealing one of her favourite movies was The Princess Diaries, she said: “I think one of my favourite films of all time is The Princess Diaries, so meeting Anne, I was pretty star struck, to be honest. That really worked in my favour. My personal perspective of Anne matched Eileen’s relationship with Rebecca… in a much less extreme and disturbed way.”

Eileen's father Jim is played by Boardwalk Empire's Shea Whigham, whilst other cast members include: Owen Teague as Randy, Marin Ireland as Rita Polk, Jefferson White as Buck Warren, Tonye Patano as Mrs. Stevens, and Siobhan Fallon-Hogan as Mrs. Murray.

Is it based on the novel by Ottessa Moshfegh?

Eileen is based on the debut book of the same name by award-winning author Ottessa Moshfegh, which was released in 2015. Other notable works include: My Year of Rest and Relaxation (2018), Death in her Hands (2020) and Lapvona (2022). For the adaptation of Eileen, she wrote the screenplay alongside her husband, Luke Goebel, who is also an author and a co-writer for A24.

What is the release date for the Eileen film?

Eileen will be available to watch in cinemas across the UK from Friday, December 1. The film currently is not available to stream online.