On October 21st, Netflix released a new version of Rebecca, a redacted version of the English I summer reading for incoming freshmen. For audio and visual learners, the film brought Daphne du Maurier’s text to life with landscapes and faces to pair with what once were one dimensional characters that lived in the novel’s pages.

In lieu of real-life premieres, Rebecca arrived on Netflix, the popular streaming service for films during the pandemic. The movie sparks recollections of the novel by opening with “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” It instantly transcends the watcher into the plot.

With our memory dubbed over by other school reading assignments like The Great Gatsby and The Scarlet Letter, I raced my memory in an attempt to reach the plot resolution before Lily James and Armie Hammer could. However, I couldn’t.

Instead, I relished in the thrill of this creepy yet captivating film that teased the watcher with hints of the outcome: Mrs. Danvers, the boat house, and the sea. It was a fever dream that crescendoed with the “cleansing” of Manderley.

By ending on a far more positive note, the movie loses focus of Mr. and Mrs. de Winter’s schemeful, rotted, and exhausted mental state. It glazes over their day to day reality of paranormal encounters with the late Rebecca.

Overall, having read the book freshman year elevated my expectations for the film. I judge a movie by its dialogue with a “less is more” standard. A film like Rebecca is already so dense that there is no need for so much conversation. The plot and setting speak for themselves. However, it does provide an enjoyable form of entertainment on an easy to use platform.