Hollywood’s "Scream Queen" Maika Monroe has returned to the Cannes Film Festival, bringing her career full circle a decade after her breakout role.
Monroe first made waves at Cannes in 2014 with It Follows, a $1.3 million indie horror hit. "It was surreal," she recalled during an interview at the Palais des Festivals. "At that point, there really wasn’t much genre at this festival."
Today, Cannes openly embraces horror and sci-fi. This shift was evident as Monroe premiered her latest film, the gothic thriller Victorian Psycho, in the festival's Un Certain Regard section.
While the film's title might suggest another standard horror flick for the actress—who built her reputation on terrifying hits like Watcher (2022) and Longlegs (2024)—Victorian Psycho reveals a completely different side of her talent. After years of playing victims fleeing serial killers, Monroe is finally on the offensive, delivering a performance steeped in dark comedy.
Releasing in theaters on September 25 via Bleecker Street, Zachary Wigon’s Victorian Psycho features Monroe as Winifred Notty. Set in the 1850s, Winifred is a comically cheerful but deeply deranged governess. The role demanded Monroe’s first British accent and a shift to an extroverted, unhinged energy.
To nail the character's unsettling, constant grin, Monroe drew inspiration from Jack Nicholson in The Shining. "He's pretty much smiling through the whole thing, through all the pain and anguish. That was a huge influence," she explained.
Despite her successful pivot into comedy and psychological depth, Monroe holds no resentment toward the "Scream Queen" label that defined her early career.
"Some of the films I’m most proud of are in this space," Monroe said. "I can’t be mad at it. I’m so proud of It Follows, Longlegs, and Watcher." But she admits the gleefully wicked Winifred Notty offered a rare, liberating experience: "There’s so much freedom in this role. It will definitely be the character I’ll miss the most."
