Eileen parents guide: Anne Hathaway’s noir-ish thriller movie is now on Hulu

First released in 2023, Eileen is based on the book by Ottessa Moshfegh, and stars Anne Hathaway and Thomasin McKenzie as a prison psychologist and lonely worker, respectively, who become somewhat obsessed with each other. And though it sort of came and went in theaters, now that it’s on Hulu the thriller has found new life.

McKenzie is the Eileen of the title, a lonely weirdo who takes care of her alcoholic father (Shea Whigham) and dreams of killing herself. That is until she meets the vivacious blonde bombshell Rebecca (Hathaway), who seems like she walked straight out of a Hitchcock movie. As they become more and more entangled, the power dynamic shifts and changes and more people from the prison get caught in the web.

The movie also stars Owen Teague and Marin Ireland, among others, and is directed by William Oldroyd from a script by Moshfegh and Luke Goebel. It also, and I cannot stress this enough, features a scene where Whigham sadly eats an entire egg over the sink, which is worth the price of admission alone.

That all said, let’s get into whether this movie is appropriate for kids, teens, or, you know, whoever.

Eileen Parents Guide: Explaining The R Age Rating

Eileen is rated R for “violent content, sexual content and language,” according to the MPA, so let’s discuss what to expect.

Sex & Nudity: There’s no nudity in the movie, but there is a fair amount of sexual content, per the official rating. On two occasions, Eileen masturbates. There’s a scene where Eileen and Rebecca dance in a club, though it’s maybe more romantic than sexy. And to get into spoilers a monologue towards the end of the movie never uses overly explicit language, but does reveal that one of the characters was repeatedly raped by his father.

Violence: Eileen has multiple fantasies about killing herself and her father, including scenes where you see her shoot herself in the head complete with blood. Rebecca gets into a fight at the bar. Eileen gets books thrown at her by her father. There are multiple bloody photographs of a murder scene. And towards the end – again, spoilers – a character is shot and then murdered with poison, as the viewer watches them die.

Language: Yeah, lots of graphic language throughout. They work in a prison, and beyond the prisoners throwing out insults, there’s plenty of harsh language from these working-class Massachusetts folks.

Drinking & Drugs: Whigham’s character is a drunk, and a violent one at that. Eileen and Rebecca both get extremely drunk at a bar, to the point that Eileen wakes up covered in vomit in her car the next morning. There’s smoking throughout the movie, as well.

Overall Verdict: What Age Is Eileen Appropriate For?

The R rating is warranted here, for the violence, subject matter, and discussions of both rape and death by suicide. Beyond that, this movie is carefully and slowly paced, and definitely aimed at adults. While there are more violent movies, and more sexual movies, there’s not much here for kids to enjoy, so 17 and up is the way to go.

If you or someone you know needs to reach out about sexual abuse or assault, RAINN is available 24/7 at 800-656-HOPE (4673), or online at RAINN.org.

If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988.