You don’t get many thrillers made in the tradition of mid-century film noir anymore. That was the promise of Eileen, a recent adaptation of Ottessa Moshfegh’s 2015 debut novel about a twisted young prison secretary who strikes up a friendship with a mysterious colleague.
In the last few years, Moshfegh has been crowned online as the author of choice for women of a certain stripe. She often writes about female loners, giving special attention to the parts of her characters that many would consider unbefitting of a leading lady — their strange habits, perverse thoughts and extreme self-loathing.
These characteristics are explored, but
