Lizzie 2018 Movie Review

『Two Women Who Chose Each Other Amid Despair, Violence, and Solidarity』

🎥 Film Overview

🎬 Title: Lizzie (2018)
🌍 Country: 🇺🇸 USA
🎞️ Genre: Biographical / Thriller / Drama
🗓️ Production & Release: –
⏳ Runtime: 110 minutes
📢 Director: Craig William Macneill
🖋️ Screenplay: Bryce Kass
📖 Based on: True story (Lizzie Borden axe murders)
📺 Platform: VOD / DVD, etc.

👩‍💼 Cast: Chloë Sevigny – Lizzie Borden
Kristen Stewart – Bridget Sullivan

🧩 Deep Story Exploration (Spoilers)

🏚️ Solidarity Born in a Space of Oppression

Lizzie lives in a middle-class household in late 19th century Massachusetts, but under her father’s absolute control and violence, she is emotionally isolated. Bridget, an Irish immigrant maid, remains at the lowest position in the household due to economic poverty and class limitations. Though they come from different social strata, under the shared weight of patriarchal oppression, they begin cautiously exchanging notes and building a bond. This solidarity develops beyond mere affection or pity into a secret pact for survival.

💔 Forbidden Emotions, Choosing to Resist Violence

When Lizzie discovers that her father is sexually abusing Bridget, she comes face to face with the true nature of the violence within her family. She realizes that the oppression she has endured is not merely personal but part of a systemic violence structured by patriarchal power. Bridget, too, suffers the same pain, which deepens and intensifies their emotional bond. The film portrays their romance not as a simple forbidden love, but as a camaraderie of solidarity in enduring fear and suffering together.

🔪 Taking Up the Axe as a Collective Escape

At last, the two women decide to take up an axe to escape the oppressive structure. The film depicts this act not as simple murder but as a form of resistance to liberate themselves from an inhumane environment. Lizzie, in particular, chooses to bear all responsibility herself in order to protect Bridget. This moment demonstrates the apex of solidarity and responsibility, not driven by personal desire but by sacrifice for a loved one. Although Lizzie is acquitted in court, the price she pays is a life of loneliness and isolation.

🦋 Emotional Resonance and Meaning

🎭 Breaking Through Oppression and Silence

Though based on a true story, the film does more than simply recreate events—it centers the narrative of women resisting sexual and class oppression. Lizzie, once a woman living in silence, finds her voice through her relationship with Bridget and gains the courage to stand against violence. Bridget, though uneducated and a servant, learns literacy through Lizzie and grows into a woman who finally possesses her own narrative. In this way, the film presents their relationship as one of mutual transformation.

🎬 Performances and the Power of Silence

Chloë Sevigny portrays Lizzie’s duality—her refined exterior and the suppressed anger and suffering within—through restrained expressions and controlled gestures. Her performance proves how much can be conveyed through silence. Kristen Stewart goes beyond the role of a mere victim, embodying Bridget as a survivor with a clear will, not just someone erased by society. The chemistry between the two actresses delivers powerful emotional intensity, even in wordless scenes.

🎥 Mise-en-scène and Historical Context

The director visualizes emotional confinement and the sense of oppression through interiors filled with cold, empty spaces. Dark lighting, tightly shut doors, and creaking staircases highlight the home as a prison, intensifying the women’s yearning for escape. Meanwhile, moments of sunlight are strategically placed in key scenes between Bridget and Lizzie, offering the audience a breath of emotional release. Set in 1892 America, the film highlights issues of class, gender, and power structures, grounding the story in historical reality.

🎯 Personal (Preference-Based) Rating

💕 Love Scene Intensity: ♥♥♥♥♥
⭐ Rating: ★★★☆