Lesbians, assemble! The first trailer for Eileen, a new queer thriller starring Academy Award-winner Anne Hathaway and New Zealand actor Thomasin McKenzie, has just dropped.

Directed by William Oldroyd, the film is based on the 2015 book of the same name from author Ottessa Moshfegh. Set in 1960s New England, it follows the parasitic relationship between two women working in a juvenile detention centre, and promises a healthy dose of sapphic tension. 

In the trailer, we meet Eileen Dunlop (played by McKenzie), a peculiar young woman who works as a secretary in the Boston-based prison. There, she escapes the emotionally haunted home of her father, but is ostracised by her fellow colleagues.

However, when an intoxicating and glamorous Harvard-educated counsellor named Rebecca (Hathaway) shows up and helps her discover new parts of her personality, Eileen’s misery seems to subside.

Although their electric chemistry and sexual tension may sound like a recipe for success, in this nail-biting story, dark secrets loom and descend the pair into chaos. 

In the first trailer for Eileen, we witness the pair become closer as they spend time together, share “nasty” habits and confide in each other. The clip also appears to tease a kiss between the two, much to the delight of fans.

omg omg anne hathaway kissing a woman and she’s a hot blonde (Eileen)???✨ pic.twitter.com/pAUFXmGqjp

— mia☆ (@hathawaysbae) October 17, 2023

With twists and turns around every corner, the production has been described as a “psychological thriller about female rage and desire” that is “brimming with lust and intrigue”. Another reviewer called it “Sultry, sinister, and wholly surprising”.

Similarly, Anne Hathaway is said to have given her “sexiest turn in years”. Other cast members include Shea Whigham, Marin Ireland, Owen Teague, Jefferson White, Tonye Patano and Siobhan Fallon Hogan.

The 98-minute film premiered at the esteemed Sundance Film Festival earlier this year on January 21, and is set to open in Irish cinemas on December 1.