i always love a good haunted house story, especially when it is set in the 1800s. utter madness in a moving picture— i love how poe dissipates the line between insanity and the supernatural. is rebecca truly haunting the mansion? or are the visuals we are presented with driven by the collective hysterics of its tenants? the exposition took way too long that i had to tune out for one night and finish it the day after. i found the first latter rather boring, and the next driving you in with its horrifying allure. i haven't read the source material yet, but they really have done a lot for a story that's only three pages long (at least in my copy). i found the final reveal from mrs. warren to be a bit out of the blue; i don't really think it added anything to the plot at all, given that the core of its mystery centers around the house and rebecca's traces. the scene where joseph dances with rebecca (or should we say what used to be rebecca) is truly haunting. of course, it's not a gothic romance when you aren't driven by madness and passion amirite? anyway, the vision of rebecca trudging around the mansion in her long gowns is the vibe i wish i brought to the function. antique staircases, suspiciously ambulent chandeliers, lacey nightgowns, a lit candleabra in hand; oh how i love gothic cinema. .ᘛ♰ᘚ. illustration by jean-paul laurens