Is Rebecca starring Lily James and Armie Hammer good?

Is Rebecca worth a watch on Netflix?

The new gothic mystery romance film, Rebecca, released on Netflix and is currently sitting at no. 3 on Netflix’s top 10 list, but is it worth watching?

The Netflix movie is based on the book of the same name by Daphne De Maurier, published in the 1930s.  It was then made into a film in the 1940s by Alfred Hitchcock and won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Black and White.

The new film stars Armie Hammer as the wealthy widower Maxim de Winter, and Lily James plays a woman who was orphaned as a child. She then meets Maxim and becomes the new Mrs. de Winter. The two seem to have great chemistry and draw you into their love story.

The de Winter’s have an extravagant home, Manderley, that is beyond gorgeous. The household is kept by the cold and calculated housekeeper Mrs. Danvers (Kristin Scott Thomas). She was very fond of her previous mistress, Rebecca, who died unexpectedly and isn’t happy that someone new has taken her place.

This film follows the book storyline and director Ben Wheatley wanted his adaptation to be of the book, not a remake of Hitchcock’s movie.

James told Variety in an interview:

"Ben Wheatley was always very clear that we were adapting the book as opposed to Hitchcock’s movie, so we kind of just tried to ignore that. We kind of pushed that right to the back of our minds."

Personally, I enjoyed this film. The costumes are fashionable, and the scenery is gorgeous, giving the viewer an amazing backdrop to an interesting storyline. This story didn’t play out how I thought it would. I was surprised by the turn of events toward the end.

I thought Hammer and James paired well together as husband and wife in this film. They both played their parts well and kept my attention to what would happen in their relationship. The whole thing is shrouded in mystery and intrigue, and things aren’t always what they seem.

Thomas was outstanding in her performance as Mrs. Danvers. She was very intimidating to the new Mrs. de Winter, and you could feel the animosity through the screen.

I wish we could have seen more of Ann Dowd’s character Mrs. Van Hopper. She was a person who is very classist and quite obnoxious but gave a certain bit of humor to the film.

Overall I enjoyed this film even though I have seen mixed reviews from other outlets.

If a gothic romance is your thing, be sure to check out Rebecca on Netflix.