CANNES, France (AP) 鈥� career essentially began at the . Her breakthrough role in premiered in Cannes鈥� Critics Week sidebar in 2014.
鈥淚 was a newbie,鈥� recalls Monroe. 鈥淚鈥檓 pretty sure I spent my 21st birthday here. I was like: 鈥榃ell isn鈥檛 that exciting, to turn 21 in a country where I could have drank in for years.鈥欌��
鈥淚t Follows,鈥� about a sexually transmitted curse, was part of a new wave of probing, atmospheric horror films. But then, it was a small $1.3 million indie movie that had little reason to expect a Cannes launch.
鈥淚t was surreal. You never expect going into making a film that this will happen,鈥� Monroe said in an interview on the rooftop of Cannes’ Palais des Festivals. 鈥淏ut especially for that film. It was such a tiny, indie horror film. At that point, there really wasn鈥檛 genre at this festival.鈥�
That has changed, though. Horror, science fiction and even slasher films have increasingly shown up in Cannes. This year, that included Jane Schoenbrun鈥檚 the and the gothic thriller 鈥淰ictorian Psycho,鈥� starring Monroe as an unhinged governess.
On the surface, 鈥淰ictorian Psycho,鈥� which premiered Thursday in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section, appears to extend Monroe鈥檚 reputation as the preeminent 鈥淪cream Queen鈥� of her generation. Along with 鈥淚t Follows,鈥� she鈥檚 been at the center of horror films like 2022鈥檚 and 2024鈥檚
But Monroe鈥檚 range as an actor far exceeds any neat genre identification. She brought Hitchcockian depth to 鈥淲补迟肠丑别谤鈥� and psychological intensity to 鈥淟辞苍驳濒别驳蝉.鈥� Bodies get bloody in 鈥淰ictorian Psycho,鈥� too, but Monroe鈥檚 deranged protagonist is archly hysterical. She鈥檚 a hoot.
As much as Monroe may be associated with horror, she might be even better at comedy. In the gleefully morbid 鈥淰ictorian Psycho,鈥� she finally turns the tables. After years spent fleeing serial killers and worse, Monroe is on the offensive.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know if I could pull it off. I decided to take the leap,鈥� Monroe says. 鈥淢an, it was just so much fun. There鈥檚 so much freedom in this role. It will definitely be the character I鈥檒l miss the most.鈥�
In Zachary Wigon鈥檚 鈥淰ictorian Psycho,鈥� which Bleecker Street will release Sept. 25 in theaters, Monroe plays Winifred Notty. In the 1850s, she arrives at the Ensor House, the grand manor of the Pounds family, to serve as the eager governess to two children.
It doesn鈥檛 take long for the children to realize she has a screw loose. But Winifred is comically chipper, even when deranged and over the top. As distant as the part might be from Monroe 鈥� a Santa Barbara, California, native here doing a British accent for the first time 鈥� it鈥檚 the first role to really capture Monroe鈥檚 natural comic energy.
鈥淚鈥檝e never done anything remotely close to a role like this,鈥� Monroe says. 鈥淚鈥檓 usually more introverted and internal with my roles, and this is very outward.鈥�
Almost always in 鈥淰ictorian Psycho,鈥� Winifred is grinning. That came from one of Monroe鈥檚 heroes.
鈥淥ne of my favorite actors is Jack Nicholson. I think every project he does he鈥檚 fascinating,鈥� Monroe says. 鈥淥f course in 鈥楾he Shining,鈥� he鈥檚 pretty much smiling through the whole thing, through all the pain and the anguish. That was a huge influence.鈥�
Monroe is also a professed fan of . And it鈥檚 easy to see how wildly mischievous characters, like those often played by Colman or Nicholson, might be even more in Monroe鈥檚 wheelhouse than horror. It’s enough to make you wonder: does she ever chafe at the term 鈥淪cream Queen?鈥�
鈥淪ome of the films I鈥檓 most proud of are in this space of genre,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 be mad at it. I鈥檓 so proud of 鈥業t Follows,鈥� 鈥楲onglegs,鈥� 鈥榃atcher.鈥� So, what can you do?鈥�
But if a certain side of Monroe has been rarely seen on screen, 鈥淰ictorian Psycho鈥� lets it out.
鈥淚n the Victorian era, there was suppression. In this industry, I can find that I need to present a certain way or come across a certain way,鈥� Monroe says. 鈥淵ou have to suppress certain things and not say certain things. That鈥檚 what was such a joy in this.鈥�
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