Victorian Psycho is heading to theaters in September 2025, and the film adaptation of Virginia Feito’s polarizing horror novel now has Maika Monroe leading the cast as Winifred Notty. That matters because this is exactly the sort of project that can collapse under its own cruelty if the central performance doesn’t give it shape.
Directed by Zachary Wigon, the movie sets its story in 1858 and follows Winifred as she arrives at Ensor House to tutor Drusilla and Andrew for the Pounds family. Readers who bounced off the book’s relentless violence may still have a reason to pay attention here, because a strong lead can turn a nasty premise into something sharper, stranger, and more watchable.
About Victorian Psycho
Virginia Feito’s Victorian Psycho sits squarely in horror and Gothic horror, and the source material has already split readers since its publication in 2025. The story centers on Winifred Notty, a young governess hired by the Pounds family, and it leans hard into her disdain for the British upper class. That setup gives the adaptation a clear engine: a servant moving through a stately house while her violent impulses grow harder to hide.
Feito’s novel has drawn direct comparison to Patrick Bateman, which tells you exactly how ugly and self-aware this material wants to be. It also means the film has to do more than sell shock value; it needs a character strong enough to carry the satire, the menace, and the dark humor without flattening them into a gimmick. Monroe’s casting suggests the filmmakers know that part matters.
Winifred Notty, Ensor House, and the Cast
Set in 1858, the adaptation follows Winifred Notty at Ensor House, where the Pounds family hires her to watch over and tutor Drusilla and Andrew. That premise gives the film a very specific pressure cooker: a governess in a rigid household, surrounded by people who underestimate her. As Winifred learns more about the family and their peculiarities, her true nature becomes harder to keep under control.