Haunted by the past

Lily James, Dame Kristin Scott Thomas and Armie Hammer star in a new take on Daphne du Maurier’s classic romantic thriller

- CAREN CLARK, RICHARD MCCLURE

NEW DRAMA

Rebecca From Wednesday 21 Oct, Netflix

‘Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again…’ The opening line to Daphne du Maurier’s brooding 1938 novel Rebecca is one of the most memorable in British literature. Now, the gates of the magnificent but menacing country estate are opening again in Netflix’s compelling adaptation.

The film stars Downton Abbey’s Lily James as the unnamed heroine, a reserved young woman who is swept off her feet by handsome widower Maxim de Winter (The Social Network’s Armie Hammer) in Monte Carlo.

The couple quickly marry, but as they start a new life at Maxim’s beloved coastal home, Manderley, the new Mrs de Winter realises that her husband is haunted by memories of his glamorous and brilliant first wife, Rebecca.

‘It starts to feel almost hallucinogenic. My character increasingly can’t tell what’s true and what’s not,’ says James. ‘She becomes lost with these ghosts, and is gaslighted from all directions.’

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James, 31, was keen to offer a fresh approach to her traditionally mousy character and build on the love affair between her and Maxim.