The Beguiled (2017)
During the Civil War, at a Southern girls’ boarding school, young women take in an injured enemy soldier. As they provide refuge and tend to his wounds, the house is taken over with sexual tension and dangerous rivalries, and taboos are broken in an unexpected turn of events.
Details
Budget
$10,500,000
Rating
6/10 (2161 votes)
Status
Released
Production Companies
American Zoetrope
About The Beguiled
Sofia Coppola's 2017 film, "The Beguiled," reinterprets the 1971 movie and the original novel, setting its drama during the American Civil War. The story centers on a secluded Southern girls' boarding school where the women take in an injured Union soldier. His arrival introduces a disruptive element into their isolated world, leading to escalating sexual tension and rivalries among the residents.
The film explores themes of desire, manipulation, and survival within a constrained, feminine environment. As the women tend to the soldier's wounds, the dynamics within the house shift, revealing the psychological complexities of characters navigating both external conflict and internal turmoil. The narrative builds towards a series of unexpected events as taboos are broken.
"The Beguiled" is categorized as a drama and runs for 93 minutes. It features a cast in period attire, reflecting its 19th-century setting in Virginia during the Confederacy. The film's critical reception was generally positive, with a 79% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 77/100 on Metacritic, alongside a 6.3 IMDb rating.
Why you might be searching for The Beguiled
People search for "The Beguiled" to find the 2017 remake directed by Sofia Coppola, particularly for its Civil War setting, the premise of a wounded Union soldier at a Southern girls' school, and the resulting sexual tension and rivalries. It's often looked up by those curious about its interpretation of the original story or for films by its director.
What reviewers are saying
One reviewer, unfamiliar with the book or the original film, found this Civil War-era drama to be a simple yet enjoyable story about an injured soldier sheltered in a girls' school, noting that while Colin Farrell was good, Kristen Dunst's performance felt out of sync with the other actresses.
Read the full reviewA reviewer felt the film, despite good acting and an appealing premise, might have been more effective as a stage play than a cinematic experience, ultimately finding it didn't quite cohere as a whole.
Read the full reviewFrequently Asked Questions
Common questions about finding and identifying movies
You can stream "The Beguiled" on Criterion Channel or for free with ads on YouTube Free. It is also available for rent or purchase on Amazon Video, Apple TV, and Fandango At Home. You can also find it on DVD and Blu-ray from retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
No, "The Beguiled" (2017) is not based on a true story. It is an adaptation of the 1966 novel by Thomas P. Cullinan, and is also a remake of a 1971 film.
At the end of "The Beguiled," the women at the school decide to kill McBurney by serving him a dinner with poisonous mushrooms. Edwina, unaware of the plan, had been intimate with McBurney shortly before. After he eats the poisoned mushrooms and dies, the women sew his body into a shroud and leave him by the road with a signal for Confederate soldiers to find.
"The Beguiled" received generally positive reviews from critics. It holds a 79% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus noting that it adds depth to its source material and features strong performances. Metacritic gave it a score of 77 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.