---
title: "Rebecca"
year: 2020
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/rebecca-2020"
fi1m_id: "rebecca-2020"
imdb_id: "tt2235695"
tmdb_id: 505379
wikidata_id: "Q65091288"
fi1m_score: 49
critics_score: 47
critics_reviews: 29
published: "2026-10-03T01:39:57.289210+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-03T01:39:58.150920+00:00"
region: "LT"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Rebecca (2020)

Directed by Ben Wheatley · 2h 03m · Romance, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

## Identity

Rebecca

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/rebecca-2020
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** rebecca-2020
- **IMDb ID:** tt2235695
- **TMDB ID:** 505379
- **Wikidata ID:** Q65091288
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2235695/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/505379, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q65091288

**Fi1m score: 49** · Critics 47 from 29 reviews

*In a sentence:* Kristin Scott Thomas makes a grand house unpleasant; everyone else struggles to make it interesting

> Ben Wheatley’s *Rebecca* offers carefully made rooms and one properly unsettling performance from Kristin Scott Thomas. The romance remains thin, though, and the late rush leaves too little suspense to justify the wait.

## Synopsis

Mrs. de Winter (Lily James) tries to find her place beside Maxim de Winter (Armie Hammer) at Manderley. Her encounters with Mrs. Danvers (Kristin Scott Thomas) offer little reassurance, and the other woman’s manner is difficult to read. The house surrounds them with elaborate interiors, including the mirrored anteroom to Rebecca’s bedroom. Class shapes the relationships between the women, while Mrs. de Winter struggles with isolation. She wants security in her marriage, but her dealings with Mrs. Danvers make the household uncomfortable, and the romance becomes entangled with mystery.

## Review

Ben Wheatley’s [*Rebecca*](https://film.one/film/rebecca) is carefully made, intermittently unsettling and too often dull. This adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s novel wants the romance to carry as much weight as the mystery, which is a reasonable ambition. The difficulty is that the central couple never becomes interesting enough to support that choice. Manderley gets plenty of attention, and the people inside it struggle to command as much of ours.

Lily James gives Mrs. de Winter a readable vulnerability, but the performance seldom develops beyond it. There is effort in the way she registers uncertainty, without enough variation to make that uncertainty gripping for this long. As Maxim de Winter, Armie Hammer is more convincing at being blunt than at suggesting anything troubling beneath his manner. Their scenes establish a romance without persuading us that either person needs this particular partner. We were bored by their exchanges, because the attraction never acquires the intensity that might make their unhappiness worth following.

Kristin Scott Thomas is another matter. Her Mrs. Danvers makes politeness unpleasant without pushing the performance into caricature. The uncertainty about what she means gives her encounters some tension. She also suggests feeling beneath the cruelty, so the character has more to offer than a succession of intimidating looks. It is a performance that keeps the scenes involving Mrs. Danvers from settling into routine.

Sarah Greenwood’s production design gives Manderley rooms with distinct characters and enough detail to reward close attention. The mirrored anteroom to Rebecca’s bedroom is particularly effective: the decoration itself begins to feel disorientating. Laurie Rose’s cinematography makes good use of the contrast between light and deep shadow, giving the interiors some of the unease missing from the romance. These are substantial pleasures, even when the film encourages us to inspect the surroundings more closely than the faces.

Clint Mansell’s score works to supply the tension that the central performances leave wanting, but music cannot make their attraction more persuasive. Jonathan Amos’s editing gives the opening more room than it needs, then hurries when the story needs time to settle. The change in pace makes it harder to stay interested just when the mystery should be taking hold. At 123 minutes, the film is long enough to give both the romance and its complications their due, yet the balance feels wrong.

The screenplay by Joe Shrapnel, Jane Goldman and Anna Waterhouse leaves the relationships too simple for the complications placed around them. There are hints of a more uncomfortable film in the attention to class and the women’s differing perspectives, but these seldom make the encounters sufficiently tense. A Gothic romance needs to make attraction itself worrying. Here, too much depends on our accepting the couple’s attachment without the performances giving us much reason to believe in it.

The strongest reason to stay is Kristin Scott Thomas, though that is a narrow basis for choosing a film this long. Anyone chiefly interested in period interiors will find plenty to examine, and there is pleasure in the care taken over those rooms. We would look elsewhere for a romance with danger in it.

*Fi1m score 49, published 3 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

The consensus on Rebecca leans towards disappointment, though most critics find something to admire in its polished appearance and supporting cast. Praise centres on Kristin Scott Thomas’s Mrs Danvers, whose menace, cruelty and emotional shading give the adaptation much of its interest. Manderley’s interiors and the cinematography also draw favourable notices, even from reviews that find Ben Wheatley’s treatment too conventional or short of suspense.

The chief reservations concern the central romance, the leads’ casting and a final act that several critics find rushed or ineffective. Opinion ranges widely: Den of Geek praises the atmosphere and all three leads, while The New Yorker finds the casting and performances unable to give the central tensions emotional force. Some reviews welcome a more romantic approach; others miss the Gothic unease and sensuality. Comparisons with Hitchcock’s version are frequently unfavourable, with critics questioning how much this adaptation adds.

## Straight answers

**Is Rebecca worth watching?**

*Rebecca* is difficult to recommend beyond Kristin Scott Thomas’s unsettling performance and the carefully made interiors; we score it 49 out of 100. We find the central romance unpersuasive and the pacing uneven, so its pleasures are narrow: an uncomfortable household and rooms that often hold our attention better than the people.

**How long is Rebecca, and what is it rated?**

*Rebecca* runs 2h 03m. It is a romance and drama film.

**Where can I watch Rebecca in Lithuania?**

*Rebecca* is streaming on Netflix in Lithuania. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Rebecca, and is it suitable for children?**

*Rebecca* has a UK 12 certificate, so it is not a choice for younger children; its unsettling moments centre on Mrs. Danvers and the uncomfortable atmosphere at Manderley. We find it intermittently unnerving rather than consistently frightening, with politeness made threatening and interiors that feel disorientating. The certificate is the clearest guide for families considering it for older children.

**How does Rebecca compare to The Handmaiden?**

*Rebecca* is the weaker choice beside [*The Handmaiden*](https://film.one/film/the-handmaiden) if we want class, desire and a grand household to complicate a convincing romance. We recommend *The Handmaiden* for its clever, funny erotic thriller plotting and performances that give the relationship feeling. *Rebecca* offers carefully made interiors and an unsettling Kristin Scott Thomas, but its central couple never holds our interest.

**Is Rebecca based on a true story or a book?**

*Rebecca* is adapted from Daphne du Maurier’s novel, rather than presented as a true story. Ben Wheatley’s film gives the romance as much weight as the mystery, an approach we find reasonable but poorly sustained: the couple’s attraction is too thin to make their unhappiness compelling.

**What should I watch after Rebecca?**

After *Rebecca*, try [*The Handmaiden*](https://film.one/film/the-handmaiden) (2016, Fi1m 85): Class, desire and a grand household complicate an unusually persuasive romance. Then [*The Heiress*](https://film.one/film/the-heiress) (1949, Fi1m 90): For a romance whose smallest social cruelties have lasting consequences.

### Reviews we read (29)

- **Empire**, John Nugent (65/100, inferred): The review finds plenty to like in Wheatley’s glossy, conventional adaptation, though Hitchcock’s version casts a long shadow. It singles out Kristin Scott Thomas’s deliciously vicious Mrs Danvers as the film’s standout. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/rebecca-2020-2/)
- **The New York Times** (65/100, inferred): The review text is inaccessible, so its verdict and specific praise or complaint cannot be established. No rating is visible in the available page content. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/21/movies/rebecca-review.html)
- **Screen Daily**, Fionnuala Halligan (64/100, inferred): The accessible page identifies this as Halligan’s review of the 2020 adaptation, but does not reveal her verdict. No specific element of praise or complaint is visible in the supplied text. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/rebecca-review/5154000.article)
- **IndieWire**, David Ehrlich (C+): Ehrlich finds the adaptation visually appealing but ultimately constrained by its source and unable to make its own identity. He praises Kristin Scott Thomas’s performance as Mrs. Danvers, while criticizing the romance and suspense for being weakened by side plots. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/rebecca-review-netflix-1234592742/)
- **Radio Times**, Emma Simmonds (3/5): Simmonds describes Wheatley’s take on the material as an intriguing marriage of director and story. She singles out Kristin Scott Thomas’s formidable performance as Mrs Danvers. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-seseai/rebecca/)
- **Total Film**, Kate Stables (3/5): Stables finds the remake a handsome, risk-taking romance that trades suspense for sweeping sadness. She praises Kristin Scott Thomas’s chilling performance but says the final-act changes fail to land. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/rebecca-review-netflix/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Chris Barsanti (2/4): Barsanti finds the film attractive but shallow, with its revelations delivered efficiently and without much surprise. He praises the grand design of Manderley and the cinematography’s gorgeous chiaroscuro, while faulting the leads for lacking depth and presence. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/rebecca-review-ben-wheatley-armie-hammer/)
- **The AV Club**, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky (C-): Vishnevetsky pans Wheatley’s adaptation as a tame, incoherent imitation that drains the story of its ambiguity. He singles out Kristin Scott Thomas, Ann Dowd, and Sam Riley for making the most of their entertaining supporting roles. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/ben-wheatley-s-demystified-rebecca-is-a-pale-imitation-1845365436)
- **Variety**, Peter Debruge (50/100, inferred): Debruge finds the remake watchable and distinct for much of its runtime, but says Hitchcock’s version overshadows it and the third act derails. He praises Kristin Scott Thomas for giving Mrs. Danvers effective new dimensions. [Read](https://variety.com/2020/film/reviews/rebecca-review-1234805533/)
- **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (2/5): O'Sullivan strongly dislikes the adaptation, calling it anonymous despite its good looks. She singles out the casting of Lily James as too beautiful to make the heroine convincing. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/rebecca-review-stuffed-with-famous-faces-it-does-inspire-strong-feeling-i-hated-it-a4571846.html)
- **Little White Lies**, Hannah Strong (3/2/2): Strong finds the adaptation a flat, miscast misfire that fails to bring new life to the familiar story. She singles out Kristen Scott Thomas as the lone bright spark, while criticizing the film’s failure to embrace the novel’s Gothic and queer subtext. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/rebecca)
- **Time Out**, Phil de Semlyen (2/5): The critic finds the adaptation tasteful but dull and soporific, calling it a rare misfire for Ben Wheatley. The review’s main complaint is that its measured approach leaves the film sleepy. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/rebecca-1)
- **Sight and Sound** (35/100, inferred): The critic finds the adaptation polished and intermittently pleasurable, but ultimately conventional and impersonal. They praise its visual design, especially Manderley’s layered, distinctive interiors. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/rebecca-2020-ben-wheatley-du-maurier-adaptation)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (35/100, inferred): Bradshaw finds the adaptation intermittently enjoyable but overdressed and underpowered, with Max de Winter miscast as an obvious hunk. He praises moments of spectacle and disquiet, particularly the fancy-dress-ball sequence, while lamenting the lost suspense and pain. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/oct/15/rebecca-review-ben-wheatley-armie-hammer-lily-james-kristin-scott-thomas)
- **The i Paper**, Christina Newland (35/100, inferred): Newland finds the film mostly bland, with its strongest ideas arriving too late to make it compelling overall. She praises Kristin Scott Thomas’s performance as Mrs Danvers and the modern perspective on Rebecca in the conclusion. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/rebecca-netflix-review-lily-james-kristin-scott-thomas-how-to-watch-721018)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Justin Chang (30/100, inferred): Chang finds the adaptation disappointing, saying it lacks patience and fails to sustain the story’s mysterious, romantic spell. He praises Kristin Scott Thomas for making Mrs. Danvers memorable and giving her emotional depth. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-10-14/rebecca-review-armie-hammer-lily-james-netflix)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney (30/100, inferred): Rooney finds the adaptation blandly glossy and ultimately ineffective, despite being watchable and well acted. He praises the dazzling mirrored anteroom of Rebecca’s bedroom, while faulting the film’s weak atmosphere and suspense. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/rebecca-film-review-4075573/)
- **The New Yorker**, Rachel Syme (10/100, inferred): Syme finds the remake superficial and a disappointing retread that fails to deepen the story. She especially faults the casting and performances, which leave the film’s central tensions without emotional force. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/all-the-wrong-reasons-to-remake-rebecca)
- **Vulture**, Angelica Jade Bastién (10/100, inferred): Bastién pans the adaptation as a hollow, turgid retread that fails to bring fresh life or sensuality to du Maurier’s story. She singles out Kristin Scott Thomas’s precise, unsettling performance as the film’s bright spot. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2020/10/rebecca-netflix-movie-review-a-hollow-turgid-retread.html)
- **Den of Geek**, Don Kaye (4/5): The review finds Wheatley’s adaptation largely successful, though its third act feels rushed and confusing. It praises the atmospheric use of Manderley and the performances of the three leads. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/rebecca-review-lily-james-netflix/)
- **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (B-): Goldberg finds the adaptation haunting and visually striking, but says its third act loses the psychological force built earlier. He praises the lush cinematography and how Wheatley uses the setting to convey isolation and menace. [Read](https://collider.com/rebecca-netflix-review-armie-hammer-lily-james/)
- **Digital Spy**, Ian Sandwell (65/100, inferred): Sandwell finds the adaptation an uneven but often admirable romantic throwback, with its romantic side working better than its psychological chills. He singles out Kristin Scott Thomas’s nuanced, chilling performance, while faulting the opening’s slow pace and the rushed final act. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a34366940/rebecca-review-netflix-lily-james-armie-hammer/)
- **Eye for Film**, Jennie Kermode (65/100, inferred): Kermode finds Wheatley’s adaptation an uncomfortable, distinctive take on the story, though it is imperfect. She especially praises Kristin Scott Thomas’s softly ambiguous Mrs Danvers and the film’s attention to class and the women’s perspectives. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/rebecca-2020-film-review-by-jennie-kermode)
- **/Film**, Chris Evangelista (6/10): The critic finds the adaptation slick but stifled, lacking urgency and failing to thrill. He praises the eerie Rebecca-bedroom sequence led by Kristin Scott Thomas, while criticizing the dull courtroom section. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/577226/rebecca-review/)
- **Consequence**, Matt Melis (55/100, inferred): Melis finds the adaptation visually appealing and intermittently thrilling, but says it plays too safely and falls short of its predecessor. He praises Lily James and Kristin Scott Thomas, particularly Scott Thomas’s chilling Mrs. Danvers. [Read](https://consequence.net/2020/10/film-review-rebecca/)
- **NME**, Alex Flood (50/100, inferred): The review finds the adaptation frustratingly mediocre, disappointing both fans of the original and of Ben Wheatley’s distinctive style. It singles out Kristin Scott Thomas’s Mrs Danvers and her unpredictable confrontations as the film’s best element. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/rebecca-review-netflix-2784792)
- **Paste**, Andy Crump (5.9): Crump finds the adaptation dull and emotionally restrained, arguing it follows the novel without exploring its sensuality. He praises Kristin Scott Thomas’s chilling performance, while criticizing Armie Hammer’s blunt acting and the film’s lack of tension. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/rebecca-review)
- **The Wrap**, Alonso Duralde (35/100, inferred): The critic finds the remake passable but lacking the suspense, wit, and romance of Hitchcock’s version. They praise its sumptuous period design, while faulting performances that are mostly overshadowed by the production values. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/rebecca-film-review-2020-netflix/)
- **The Ringer**, Adam Nayman (25/100, inferred): Nayman finds the remake frustratingly disposable and ultimately too timid to justify revisiting the story. He singles out Kristin Scott Thomas’s playful, cruel Mrs. Danvers and the evocative design of Manderley as standout strengths. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2020/10/21/movies/rebecca-netflix-remake-review-hitchcock)

## Details

- **Director:** Ben Wheatley
- **Director:** Ben Wheatley
- **Screenplay:** Jane Goldman, Joe Shrapnel, Anna Waterhouse
- **Novel:** Daphne du Maurier
- **Cinematography:** Laurie Rose
- **Editor:** Jonathan Amos
- **Music:** Clint Mansell
- **Production design:** Sarah Greenwood
- **Costume design:** Julian Day
- **Producer:** Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Nira Park
- **Cast:** Lily James as Mrs. de Winter; Armie Hammer as Maxim de Winter; Kristin Scott Thomas as Mrs. Danvers; Keeley Hawes as Beatrice; Ann Dowd as Mrs. Van Hopper; Sam Riley as Jack Favell; Tom Goodman-Hill as Frank Crawley; Mark Lewis Jones as Inspector Welch
- **Runtime:** 2h 03m
- **First release (the US):** 16 October 2020
- **Genres:** Romance, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFVhB54UqvQ

## Where to watch in Lithuania

- Netflix: streaming

*Checked 2026-10-03.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *The Innocents* (1961): A country house becomes frightening through patient observation and troubling performances.
- *The Handmaiden* (2016), Fi1m 85: Class, desire and a grand household complicate an unusually persuasive romance. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-handmaiden.md)
- *The Heiress* (1949), Fi1m 90: For a romance whose smallest social cruelties have lasting consequences. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-heiress.md)
- *Les Diaboliques* (1955): A marriage’s resentments feed a mystery that gives its dread time to develop.
- *Crimson Peak* (2015): An imposing house and elaborate clothes accompany a less timid Gothic romance.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/rebecca-2020