Whether you are diving into Thomas Cullinan's 1966 novel, the pulpy 1971 Clint Eastwood classic, or Sofia Coppola’s atmospheric 2017 remake, The Beguiled is a masterclass in Southern Gothic tension. It centers on a group of women in a secluded Virginia boarding school during the Civil War who take in an injured Union deserter, leading to a volatile cocktail of lust, jealousy, and deception.

The narrative is less about the war itself and more about the "war" within the household once a male presence disrupts their sheltered world.