COVE

The 2020 adaptation of the novel, Rebecca, written by Daphne du Maurier, was directed by Ben Wheatley.  It remains mostly faithful to the novel’s psychological tension but it also enhances its Gothic and supernatural undertones through stylistic choices.  While Rebecca is not explicitly a ghost story, the film leans into eerie atmospheres, dreamlike sequences and psychological hauntings that make the late Mrs. de Winter’s (Rebecca) presence feel spectral.  Manderley itself is depicted as a haunted space, with grand but shadowy architecture, flickering candlelight and misty surroundings.  It reinforces the idea that Rebecca’s influence still lingers.  Additionally, Mrs. Danvers, who is the housekeeper, embodies an uncanny presence.  She almost appeares ghostlike in her movements and appears everywhere that the unnamed protagonist goes.  Mrs. Danvers also has an unwavering devotion to the late wife’s memory, making it seem as though she acts as an agent and is doing her “bidding”.  Throughout the film, there are hallucinatory sequences that blur the line between reality and imagination, which amplifies the sense that Rebecca’s presence is inescapable.  The second Mrs. de Winter experiences visions and nightmares.  They include moments where she sees herself in Rebecca’s dress or imagines herself drowning, which heightens the psychological horror.  The climactic burning of Manderley serves as a kind of symbolic exorcism, suggesting that only through destruction can the characters free themselves from Rebecca’s hold.  While the film never introduces a literal ghost, its reliance on supernatural aesthetics, such as haunting cinematography, eerie sound design and psychological terror, creates an atmosphere where Rebecca feels as present as any spirit, reinforcing themes of memory, obsession and power.