Victorian Psycho: reviews

What the critics say average 6.3 from 35 outlets

• 9.0 Pop Culture LeftoversTiffany McLaughlin If you haven't yet, I would highly recommend reading the book, either before or after seeing the film. The order doesn’t matter; know they serve as wonderful companion pieces that tell the story of a woman's descent into madness. Read
• 9.0 Behind The LensDebbie Lynn Elias Beautifully demented. Deliciously diabolical. And an absolute bloody delight! Read
• 9.0 The Austin ChronicleRichard Whittaker A Penny Dreadful brought to glorious, wicked life, Victorian Psycho never slows in its corseted dance toward the inevitable bloodbath. Absurd as it is witty and grotesque, it’s a perfect period horror-comedy. Read
• 8.0 ColliderTherese Lacson Full of blood and murder and Gothic flair, what makes Victorian Psycho so good is that it doesn't need to pretend to be artsy or take itself too seriously. Read
• 8.0 Next Best PictureNadia Dalimonte Directed by Zachary Wigon and starring a brilliant Maika Monroe, “Victorian Psycho” shines in a sea of gothic horrors for the way it depicts real fears about societal acceptance. Read
• 8.0 Screen DailyNikki Baughan The third feature from Zachary Wigon (following 2023’s Sanctuary and 2014’s The Heart Machine) takes gonzo delight in ratcheting up traditional gothic psychodrama tropes to frenzied heights while also paying striking homage to its literary roots. Read
• 8.0 Fan FatalesRachel Leishman If you try to project something onto Victorian Psycho, then it isn’t going to work for you. But when you embrace what Wigon and Feito are doing with Winifred’s story, it is absolutely breathtaking and twisted in the best way. Read
• 8.0 Horror Movie BlogJazzmin Crawley Victorian Psycho won me over with witty dialogue, sharp comedic beats, a great lead performance, and plenty of blood. Read
• 8.0 MashableKristy Puchko Victorian Psycho is a hoot, wildly fun, and unapologetically deranged on its surface. Read
• 7.5 The Film StageSavina Petkova More than a well-crafted thriller, Victorian Psycho proves a rousing comedy, its trio of great actors never missing the mark with a stoic line delivery. Read
• 7.5 IndiewireKate Erbland Clocking in at a tight 90 minutes, some changes to the also-slim book are smart, while others dilute its darkest impulses. Read
• 7.5 Assignment XAbbie Bernstein We have a good idea of where all of this is going but, thanks to the just-right humor and punchy turns, we are engrossed throughout as to how it’s going to get there. Read
• 7.0 The WrapChase Hutchinson Even when it does start to eventually run out of steam, Monroe never slows down, making even the quiet moments feel like they could explode at any second. It’s a truly exciting, unpredictable performance that keeps you locked in. Read
• 7.0 Loud and Clear ReviewsSophie Frank Maika Monroe has a blast in Victorian Psycho, a bloody, frenzied romp about a psychopathic governess that is undermined by a simplistic script. Read
• 7.0 Video LibrarianChris Sawin The film thrives because of an all-around talented cast, with Maika Monroe stealing every scene. Read
• 7.0 Daily DeadMatt Donato Victorian Psycho is a fresh take on age-old horrors that stays in line with expectations for the better. Read
• 7.0 InverseKatie Rife It’s a guilty pleasure, but at least it’s a guilty pleasure for the literate, starring an actor who has just begun to reveal everything that she has to give. Read
• 7.0 Bloody DisgustingMeagan Navarro Carnage becomes pretty dang delightful in Monroe’s capable hands. Read
• 6.0 Time OutPhil de Semlyen Wigon executes the bloody splurges with flair but fails to build up to them with stakes or tension. Read
• 6.0 Screen RantAlex Harrison Victorian Psycho is at its best as a collection of horror movie moments, with the unsettling set pieces pairing nicely with a talented cast having fun playing up the period piece trappings. The film is weaker as a narrative, however, and would have been better served as a thrill ride by a more structured, involving plot. Read
• 6.0 The Hollywood NewsKat Hughes Maika Monroe proves there is more to her than a pretty face capable of taking down the bad guy as embraces her inner darkness for this eccentric period-set black comedy. Read
• 6.0 FandomWireSean Boelman It is enjoyable enough in the moment that it is hard to say it’s a bad film, even if it doesn’t amount to much. Read
• 6.0 HorrorBuzzSharai Bohannon Monroe is at her most charming, chilling, and cool. Read
• 6.0 Rendy ReviewsRendy Jones A delightfully bloody good time, held together by a twisted, chilling, career‑best Maika Monroe. Read
• 5.0 Roger EbertBrian Tallerico There’s enough death and dismay to make that question surprising, but “Victorian Psycho” often feels too much like a comedy, one of those movies that nudge-nudges you with a “can you believe this” tone to the filmmaking without giving us enough to believe in. Read
• 5.0 The PlaylistRafaela Sales Ross It feels natural to expect blood-dripping gore and reckless violence from a film titled “Victorian Psycho,” but, with his latest, Zachary Wigon chooses instead to lure the audience with the fresh smell of ripped flesh, only to trap them under a heavy blanket of frustration. Read
• 5.0 Little White LiesHannah Strong There are some fun flourishes in Nico Aguilar’s camerawork and the snappy editing from Dustin Chow and Lance Edmands. Read
• 4.0 The Hollywood ReporterDavid Rooney At times, the movie veers almost into spoof territory, but it never commits to the bit enough to be anything more than a mismatched genre hybrid, despite its atmospheric visuals and strong design elements. Read
• 4.0 VarietyGuy Lodge The governess is thoroughly ungoverned in “Victorian Psycho,” a grisly ostensible horror comedy from director Zachary Wigon that’s neither frightening nor funny enough to pass muster — and not quite outrageous enough to garner the kind of notoriety it’s aiming for, either. Read
• 4.0 Cosmic CircusMaxance Vincent At least Maika Monroe is excellent, and the right person needed to portray Winifred. Read
• 4.0 The SS Ben HechtStephen Silver Aside from Monroe’s performance — very different from most of her previous horror roles — I was mostly unimpressed. Read
• 4.0 Horror PressXero Gravity Once all the details are on the table, and we’ve digested the comedic, period-piece gag, Victorian Psycho starts feeling like it’s begging for audience attention through side-quests, and it’s a little hard to sit through. Read
• 3.8 Slant MagazineRoss McIndoe The film works overtime to convince us that we’re watching a subversive penny dreadful full of wicked delights. Read
• 3.3 The A.V. ClubJacob Oller Their period piece, chasing the kind of dissonant friction Yorgos Lanthimos revels in, is neither clever nor gruesome enough to shock or titillate, despite its lead performer seizing the rare opportunity for villainy. Read
• 2.0 The TelegraphTim Robey The overall tone, though, is just abominable. It’s hard to believe the source novel, adapted personally by its author, Virginia Feito, could have been quite this abrasively pointless. Read