Maika Monroe plays a scarily unhinged governess in the first trailer for “Victorian Psycho,” promising a bloody, spooky good time for those who are fans of the horror genre. 

The trailer opens with Monroe as Winifred Notty addressing her charges—Jacobi Jupe as Andrew and Evie Templeton as Drusilla—in a classroom. She lectures on the nature of good and evil while turned away from the youngsters, clearly going through something. 

Gory scenes from the film are intercut throughout her monologue—she throws a disembodied hand into a fire, runs her hands through a bowl of what looks to be blood and wields various weapons against her victims.

Even more unsettling than Monroe’s facial distortions, frequent blood splatters and the random human ear hiding under a bed, the trailer features the anachronistic song “Throw Yourself to the Sword” by the punk band Die Spitz. It’s a weird choice for a movie about a murderous Victorian governess, but it promises an unexpected—maybe amusing—story to come. 

“Victorian Psycho” also stars Jason Isaacs and Ruth Wilson as the children’s parents, and Thomasin McKenzie and Amy De Bhrún as fellow staff members in the home. Based on Virginia Feito’s novel of the same name, the film hits theaters September 25. 

About the writer

Danielle Haynes is the co-founder and co-editor of Booked & Screened, covering book-to-screen adaptations, film and TV development. This one’s definitely going on her TBR list; she loves a good horror story.