Rebecca

Even if you dreamt of going to Manderley again, in cinematic terms Rebecca was better the first time around.

This handsomely mounted period piece isn’t technically a remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s Oscar-winning 1940 masterpiece, but a separate adaptation of the same novel by Daphne du Maurier.

However, fair or not, such comparisons are inevitable — and this new version of the classic thriller lacks both the romantic sizzle and the twisty intrigue of its predecessor.

The story follows an unnamed British woman (Lily James) who falls for the dashing Maxim de Winter (Armie Hammer) while vacationing in Monte Carlo as the assistant to an aristocratic social climber (Ann Dowd). After a whirlwind romance, she impulsively agrees to wed, despite warnings about the death of Maxim’s first wife, Rebecca, under mysteriously tragic circumstances.

When they move into his Manderley estate, the new Mrs. de Winter struggles to adjust, intimidated by a barrage of references to Rebecca’s beauty and devotion to Maxim. Lead housekeeper Mrs. Danvers (Kristin Scott Thomas), who adored the title character most of all, maximizes the newcomer’s discomfort with behavior that suggests more devious intentions.

The resulting strain on their relationship is further tested by secrets about Rebecca’s demise, and Maxim’s disturbing lack of closure.

After a slow start, the film is energized by the simultaneous introduction of the ornate house — with its array of creepy surprises — and the casually conniving Mrs. Danvers, inhabited with deadpan glee by Scott Thomas.

As directed by Ben Wheatley (Free Fire), the visually sumptuous film benefits from eye-catching cinematography and production design. James and Hammer are each solid, yet their chemistry remains muted, which prevents the film from maintaining consistent suspense.

Likewise, the screenplay misses an opportunity to supply a more contemporary polish to the character dynamics and sexual politics. The female protagonist comes off as particularly naïve and hopelessly desperate, which doesn’t translate well from page to screen.

Ultimately a ghost story, Rebecca picks up steam when the third-act revelations are unspooled, ratcheting up the tension as motives come into focus amid a spiral of deception and betrayal with our heroine caught in the middle.

Even as the film mostly captures the mischievous melodramatic spirit of the source material, it struggles to modulate its more playful elements with the dark and sinister. Still, its message remains clear — undertake proper due diligence when marrying a widower.

Rated PG-13, 123 minutes.