Every Sofia Coppola Film Ranked Worst To Best

Based on the novel of the same name by Thomas P. Cullinan, The Beguiled is a Gothic drama set during the American Civil War. It stars Colin Farrell as an injured Union soldier who is cared for by the members of an all-girls school in Virginia (including headmistress Nicole Kidman and residents Elle Fanning and Kirsten Dunst).

The film remains Coppola's most simple and minimalist to date, a small, subtle melodrama that creates tension and prickly humour out of sex, obsession, and ambiguous character motivations. The stylish aesthetic makes the whole thing hypnotically eerie, and features a staggering performance from its principal cast, particularly Farrell and Kidman.

Its stylish tone and complex characters make The Beguiled at once a striking character study, and a taut mystery wrapped inside a slow-burning tale of femininity and obsession. Though it gets off to something of a slow start, there's no denying that the film is one of Coppola's most intriguing projects.