It can be tough to feel isolated and alone. As we open the film Eileen, based on the novel from Ottessa Moshfegh, we meet a woman that feels desperately alone.

In the earliest moments, Eileen (Thomasin McKenzie) is living through her fantasies as she watches people from afar in her daily life. That’s because her regular life, working as a secretary at a prison in the 1960s while caring for her alcoholic father (Shea Whigham), is more of a nightmare. She is isolated, alone and desperate for a real human connection.

When a new doctor (Anne Hathaway) moves into the prison, she forms a fast connection. But is it real? Can it pull Eileen out of her rut? Or will it pull her more deeply into a pit from which she can’t recover.

That’s the focus of this film, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January and finally gets a wide release Friday, December 8. It comes from director William Oldroyd and features an interesting period setting and a moody design. It is a cold, grim world and that befits the narrative for Eileen and the feelings she has inside.

It’s not an uplifting story but it moves at a decent pace. The film clocks in just over 90 minutes, making it a swift commitment to the story and the world. While Hathaway, Whigham and Marin Ireland do a nice job in supporting roles, this really comes down to McKenzie.

We’ve seen McKenzie sink into complex characters before and she does so well here. She breathes life into Eileen. We sense her dread and her desperation, including the way she fantasizes about ending her own life or ending her pain by ending the lives of others. That makes the twisty third act that much more engaging.

There are strong moments here. I enjoyed the work from McKenzie and Oldroyd does a decent job putting it all together. But overall, it didn’t quite hit the heights of its potential. It is also a darker tale that won’t be for everyone.

Eileen opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, December 8.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.