‘Eileen’: Love, Lies, and Escapades 

Before meeting Rebecca, Eileen's life could have been more exciting. Raised in a secluded town in Massachusetts, she finally had a chance to start a new life after college, only to face her mother's death due to illness. Her father, consumed by alcoholism, could no longer work. Eileen had to take his place, staying at the local prison and working as the lowest-ranking clerk.

Three or four years flew by, and Eileen, at twenty-four, found herself trapped in a remote and closed-off town. Her coworkers were twice her age, with whom she had nothing in common except being ordered around. Few people her age stayed in town, and the only men she encountered regularly were her father's old friends, who treated her like a child.

At home, her drunken father often ridiculed her, believing she couldn't find a man to marry and couldn't manage her own life. Work, life, family... everything was so dull, trapping Eileen's body and mind. She had intense sexual fantasies but could only watch herself gradually turn into an old maid.

Then, Rebecca appeared. She was like the antithesis of Eileen, with golden hair that shone like sunlight, captivating everyone's attention. A newly arrived psychologist at the prison, she hailed from Manhattan and had just obtained a Ph.D. from Harvard. Intelligent, wealthy, beautiful... any of these traits was enough for the townsfolk to admire.

Her confident posture, elegant demeanor, and warm attitude instantly drew Eileen in. Rebecca's arrival colored Eileen's life. She began learning to dress up and make herself look beautiful. She imitated Rebecca's smoking and drinking, trying out a more carefree lifestyle.

After their first date, Rebecca's fleeting kiss before parting ignited the long-suppressed emotions within Eileen. So, when Rebecca invited her to her house on Christmas Eve, Eileen readily agreed. Little did she know that on this night, Rebecca would reveal a dark secret to her without holding back... Where will Eileen go from here?

Another ‘Carol’?

Many people get a strong sense of déjà vu when they first watch "Eileen." It's not a mistake. The movie is just too much like "Carol."

Set in the harsh winter of the 1950s and 1960s, Massachusetts looks no different from New York—equally bitter, stagnant, and lifeless. In terms of character setup, it's the same innocent brunette encountering a mysterious, elegant, and class-transcending blonde falling in love at first sight.

However, when you think this is a low-budget film paying homage to "Carol," in the last half-hour, the story drastically turns from a same-sex romance to a suspenseful crime thriller.

While working at the prison, Eileen always kept an eye on a boy named Polk. Still underage, one day, he suddenly stabbed his father in front of his mother. He never told anyone why he did it.

After Rebecca arrived at the prison, she also attempted therapy and counseling for the boy regarding the incident, but it seemed to have little effect. On Christmas Eve, after Eileen rushed to her side, Rebecca finally confessed that they were at the Polk family's home, not at her rented house in town.

It turned out that for years, the boy had been enduring sexual abuse from his father, and although the mother knew everything, she never intervened. Even now, the mother still publicly claims that the father was a saint, and she doesn't know why her son would kill her husband.

When Rebecca confronted Mrs. Polk about the matter, she was attacked. In the struggle, Rebecca tied her up in the basement. She needed her confession and another witness who wasn't involved to avoid going to jail based solely on Mrs. Polk's testimony. Eileen was the best candidate.

Despite being used by the woman she loved, Eileen still decided to help Rebecca. Finally, when the woman confessed that she did discover her husband's actions but helped cover it up due to his guilt and affection towards her after abusing their son, Eileen couldn't take it anymore and shot Mrs. Polk.

To prevent her from calling for help, Rebecca killed the injured woman. Eileen and Rebecca became true accomplices. Eileen suggested moving the body and the gun back to her house to make it look like her father had killed someone while drunk. They then drove together to New York to start a new life. Rebecca, feeling trapped, agreed. However, after Eileen sorted everything independently, Rebecca didn't arrive at the agreed location. It was all wishful thinking on her part. In the end, after disposing of the body, Eileen flagged down a truck heading into the distance, embarking on her journey of escape alone.

The film's first hour and the last thirty minutes are entirely different in tone, telling two other stories. Everything was so emotionally charged with the ambiguous tension between the two female leads, Eileen's transformation, and the burgeoning desire. However, in the end, the audience realizes that all the buildup was just a city girl's escapade in the countryside. She could easily win a young girl's heart and, without any psychological burden, leave her behind as a scapegoat and walk away. The romantic atmosphere painstakingly created crumbled after an unexpected criminal act.

If the aim were to depict a lesbian romance, it would have been better to fully reference "Carol," portraying both the passionate love between them and the societal discrimination, the burdens of reality. Show their reckless elopement, their panic when caught, and their emotional outburst when forced to separate and meet again in silence.

Suppose the focus was on the issues within the original families. In that case, the initial emphasis should have been on the conflict between Eileen and her father, with additional conflict arising between the Polk mother and son during prison visits, depicting the similarities and differences between the two families. This way, Eileen's final desperation shot would have made more sense. However, this film failed to understand what it wanted to emphasize, trying to attract attention with lesbian romance while escalating into ethical crime. It ended up being a hollow movie that was criticized by the audience, as expected.

If there's one thing worth praising in the film, it's probably Anne Hathaway's performance. Known for portraying various love-hate relationships on screen as straight women, she surprisingly shines when flirting with another woman. Whether it's the intentional or unintentional touch of the thigh or the seemingly careless kiss after drinking, it's enough to make one's heart race.

Thomasin McKenzie, who plays Eileen, also had outstanding performances in "Jojo Rabbit" and "Last Night in Soho." However, in this film, the chemistry between the two leads is insufficient, and the most daring performance is just a timid kiss. It feels like a straight male director trying to capitalize on the trend without understanding the inner world of the LGBT community. Without delving into the characters' psychological processes and behavioral logic, it's naturally difficult to create a masterpiece like "Carol."