MY COUSIN RACHEL (2017)
A polished romantic mystery with a bleak view of love.
Should You Watch It?
MY COUSIN RACHEL is a thoroughly engaging, suspenseful mystery. Its writing, direction, acting, sets, and costumes are all polished, and the story keeps you questioning the characters’ motives even after the credits roll. Rachel Weisz is terrific in the title role.
But the film’s strengths come wrapped in serious concerns. It depicts fornication, contains one “f” word along with other obscenities and profanities, and includes violence, alcohol use, smoking, and a homosexual character. Its main characters quietly mock church services, and its final view of love is bleak and humanist rather than redemptive.
The film has real craft, but its content and worldview make it unsuitable for children and young teens. Adults who choose to watch should do so at home, where they can weigh the material carefully.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESPhillip, a young English heir raised by his beloved cousin Ambrose, becomes alarmed when Ambrose marries a mysterious cousin named Rachel while recovering in Italy. After Ambrose dies, Phillip suspects Rachel had something to do with it.
Rachel later arrives at the estate Phillip is set to inherit. He intends to confront her, but her lovely demeanor disarms him. Soon, Phillip finds himself falling in love with the older woman he once believed was responsible for his guardian’s death.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is a highly accomplished film despite its serious weaknesses. MY COUSIN RACHEL is slickly written, directed, and acted, with wonderful sets and costumes. As a psychological mystery, it remains engaging and suspenseful throughout.
Rachel Weisz is terrific as Rachel. The main weakness is Phillip’s rapid transition from hating Rachel to falling in love with her, which the review finds difficult to believe. Even so, the film’s mystery keeps viewers questioning the characters’ motives long after the credits.
The Worldview
MY COUSIN RACHEL presents a light humanist worldview with a skeptical view of love. It functions as a morality tale about the dangers and pitfalls of obsession, showing how Phillip’s fixation affects his judgment and decisions.
The film includes a few church services and some positive Christian elements, including Christian characters and a pastor. However, the main characters quietly mock the ceremony in two instances. The movie also includes a homosexual character and ends with the notion that people may never truly know the motivations of those they love. The review considers this a bleak, humanist outlook that leaves a bitter taste rather than offering redemption.
The film’s central warning about obsession is worth considering, but Scripture gives a fuller account of love than suspicion and uncertainty: “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Light humanist worldview with skeptical view on love with a light moral element showing the negative effect of obsession and light Christian elements with some positive Christian characters, and a pastor, mitigated by main characters who quietly mock church, plus there’s a homosexual character; seven obscenities (including one “f” word) and three profanities; a character almost falls off a cliff, but another character does (though viewers only see the body after the fact), and a man threatens a women multiple times, holding her neck once; depicted fornication in the woods with characters clothed, implied fornication in another scene, kissing, and one homosexual character; upper male nudity; alcohol use; smoking of a pipe but no drugs; and, obsession.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
How can obsession distort a person’s judgment and relationships? What does Scripture teach about guarding your heart?
Proverbs 4:23 · 1 Corinthians 10:12–13The film presents love as something whose deepest motives may remain unknowable. How does biblical love differ from suspicion, infatuation, or control?
1 Corinthians 13:4–7 · 1 John 4:7–8What does it mean to treat church worship with reverence rather than mockery?
Ecclesiastes 5:1–2 · Hebrews 12:28When a story contains some moral lessons but little redemption, how should that affect your discernment?
Philippians 4:8 · 1 Thessalonians 5:21–22The Final Word
MY COUSIN RACHEL is beautifully made, suspenseful, and strongly acted. But its sexual content, foul language, mocking of church, and bleak view of love make it unsuitable for children and young teens. For adults, WAIT FOR HOME — ADULTS ONLY. For a cleaner family choice, see.
