Miss Julie

The Brief

This is an intense, unsettling, and brilliantly acted film that explores class, gender roles, and shame. The story is an adaptation of August Strindberg’s play, but here it is set on an estate in Ireland at the end of the 19th century. It is Midsummer’s Eve, and everyone has left to celebrate; the only ones remaining in the house are the butler, John, and the cook, Kathleen—who are engaged—as well as the baron’s daughter, the unhappy and arrogant Julie. She begins to flirt with John, setting in motion a dangerous game that soon spirals completely out of control.