William Oldroyd is good at showing women trapped in lives they did not choose. We rate his patience with actors more highly than his handling of stories that depend on keeping us guessing.
Fi1m perspective
In Eileen (2023), Thomasin McKenzie's prison clerk returns from work to a father who waves a gun around the house. Sex and violence occupy her thoughts during lunch breaks. Oldroyd gives her frustration time to become interesting, and the film is slyly funny about what she wants. Anne Hathaway's Rebecca becomes the object of that longing. This is where we find him most persuasive: watching somebody want more than her daily life can offer.
His feature debut, Lady Macbeth (2016), followed years of theatre and opera work. His approach keeps actors central, with extended rehearsal, while his preference for pared-back interiors leaves them little decoration to hide behind. The debut brought Florence Pugh to notice; Eileen, his second feature, returned to a young woman confined by a home she had not chosen. Adapting Ottessa Moshfegh's novel, he is patient with her dissatisfaction, but the later change of direction feels imposed. The film stops before its story feels properly finished.
His & Hers (2026), for which he directed and co-wrote three episodes, gives us more reason to doubt his handling of surprise. Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal keep stretches watchable, but too many decisions exist to provide the next surprise. We were irritated by the repeated misdirections, because suspicion shifted without convincing reasons for the characters' behaviour. Oldroyd directs alongside Anja Marquardt, and the cast frequently has to supply the emotional credibility missing from the writing.
Doug Emmett and Ante Cheng give the series a glossy finish, supported by Kelly McGehee's carefully managed production design. Yet these surroundings seldom feel threatening, leaving little unease between changes of suspect. That lack of atmosphere matters whenever the mystery slows down: there is not much pleasure in simply watching these people inhabit these places. For the patient, Eileen is worth seeing for McKenzie and Hathaway; do not expect the ending to justify every delay.
Biography
William Oldroyd is a British film and theatre director. He worked in theatre, including as Director in Residence at the Young Vic, and directed short films before his feature debut.
His first feature, Lady Macbeth (2016), premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. His second feature, Eileen (2023), premiered at Sundance. He served as lead writer, executive producer and director of three episodes of the series His & Hers (2026).
Lady Macbeth received nominations at the British Academy Film Awards and British Independent Film Awards, and won the European Discovery award at the European Film Awards. Eileen was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Director.
