Set in 19th-century England, My Cousin Rachel follows young Philip, who is raised by his older cousin and guardian, Ambrose. When Ambrose travels to Italy for his health, he begins writing letters to Philip, revealing that he has met and married a mysterious woman named Rachel. However, his letters soon turn dark and paranoid, suggesting that Rachel may be causing him harm. When Ambrose dies suddenly, Philip is left filled with suspicion—and a thirst for revenge.
Philip returns to England and inherits Ambrose’s estate, where he awaits Rachel’s arrival with hostility. He believes she had something to do with Ambrose’s death and plans to confront her. But when Rachel arrives, she defies all of Philip’s expectations: she is elegant, charming, and seemingly grieving. His suspicion slowly gives way to fascination, then infatuation, as he falls under her spell.
As their relationship deepens, Philip becomes obsessed with Rachel, offering her full control of his inheritance in a reckless gesture of trust. Yet unsettling questions remain. Is Rachel truly grieving, or is she manipulating him just as she may have manipulated Ambrose? Strange illnesses and subtle hints of deceit begin to unravel Philip’s certainty, leaving him—and the audience—torn between love and fear.
The film carefully plays with ambiguity, never revealing whether Rachel is innocent or dangerous. Philip’s growing instability, paired with Rachel’s elusive nature, blurs the lines between paranoia and truth. The more he tries to uncover her intentions, the more he seems to lose control over his own emotions, leading to devastating consequences.
My Cousin Rachel is a haunting gothic drama that explores themes of obsession, trust, and power. With rich period detail and a mesmerizing performance by Rachel Weisz, the film keeps viewers in suspense until the very end—constantly questioning whether the threat lies in Rachel herself, or in the mind of a man consumed by love and doubt.