Honestly, if you were to describe the plot of The Duke of Burgundy to someone at a party, they’d probably think you’ve been spending way too much time in the "weird" section of a vintage video store. It sounds like a fever dream. A world with no men? Check. Obsessive butterfly experts? Check. A relationship where one woman is a maid who keeps getting "punished" for being late with the laundry? Check.
But here’s the thing. This isn't some trashy, low-budget exploitation flick from the 70s, even though it looks exactly like one. It's actually one of the most tender, relatable, and flat-out funniest movies about the "work" of long-term relationships ever made. It just happens to involve a lot of silk stockings and a custom-made trunk with a false bottom.
The Duke of Burgundy Explained (Without the Pretentious Film School Talk)
Most people hear "erotic thriller" and expect something like Fifty Shades of Grey. Throw those expectations in the trash. Director Peter Strickland didn't make a movie for the mass-market airport novel crowd. He made a movie for anyone who has ever had to "perform" a version of themselves to keep their partner happy.
The movie focuses on Cynthia (played by the incredible Sidse Babett Knudsen) and Evelyn (Chiara D'Anna). When we first meet them, it looks like a classic power dynamic. Cynthia is the icy, demanding mistress of a grand estate, and Evelyn is the mousy, trembling maid. Cynthia berates her for the state of the hand-washed underwear. She demands absolute perfection. It feels intense. It feels a little scary.
Then, the clock resets.
🔗 Read more: Jack Blocker American Idol Journey: What Most People Get Wrong
We realize that this entire sequence—the laundry, the yelling, the specific way Evelyn has to scrub the floor—is a script. And it’s not even Cynthia’s script. It’s Evelyn’s. Every single detail is dictated by the "submissive" partner. Poor Cynthia is actually exhausted. She just wants to wear her baggy pajamas, drink some tea, and maybe not have to come up with new insults every single afternoon. She’s doing it because she loves Evelyn.
That's the big twist. The power isn't where you think it is.
Why This World Feels So Weird
There are zero men in this movie. Not in the background, not in the credits, nowhere. It’s just women attending lectures about the mating habits of moths and butterflies. It’s never explained. It doesn’t need to be. By removing men entirely, Strickland lets the relationship between Cynthia and Evelyn exist in a vacuum. There's no "coming out" story, no societal judgment, no "male gaze" to worry about.
It's just two people in a house trying to figure out how to bridge the gap between their desires.
💡 You might also like: Why American Beauty by the Grateful Dead is Still the Gold Standard of Americana
The Tiny Details You Probably Missed
- The Title: There is no Duke. There is no Burgundy. The title refers to a specific, rare species of butterfly (Hamearis lucina). It’s a bit of a red herring, much like the movie’s tone.
- The Sound: If you watch this with headphones, your brain might melt. Strickland is obsessed with foley. The sound of a butterfly’s wings, the click of heels on wood, even the "golden shower" scene (which is much more about the sound of liquid than anything graphic) are dialed up to 11.
- The Carpenter: There’s a running gag where they visit a local carpenter to order a "punishment" trunk. The carpenter is completely professional about it. She has a six-month waiting list. It treats kinky furniture with the same mundanity as ordering a new kitchen cabinet.
What Most People Get Wrong About the "Kink"
People tend to focus on the bondage or the "human toilet" jokes, but those are just the window dressing. The real tension in The Duke of Burgundy is about aging and the fear of being "enough."
Cynthia is older. She’s starting to feel the physical toll of the games Evelyn wants to play. She’s worried that if she stops playing the role of the Stern Mistress, Evelyn will lose interest. On the flip side, Evelyn is so addicted to the fantasy that she forgets there’s a real person behind the character. It’s a classic domestic drama hidden inside a velvet-lined box.
If you’ve ever stayed in a relationship long after the initial "spark" has faded, you’ll recognize the exhaustion in Cynthia’s eyes. It’s the look of someone who is trying to remember a safe word not because they’re in danger, but because they just want to go to sleep.
Is it Actually Worth Watching?
Basically, yeah. But you have to be in the right mood. If you want an action-packed plot, you’re going to be bored out of your mind. Not much "happens" in the traditional sense. It’s a loop. They wake up, they play the game, they argue, they go to bed. The repetition is the point.
📖 Related: Why October London Make Me Wanna Is the Soul Revival We Actually Needed
The cinematography by Nic Knowland is gorgeous. It looks like it was shot through a lens smeared with honey and woodsmoke. It’s warm, claustrophobic, and dreamlike. Plus, the score by Cat's Eyes is hauntingly beautiful—very 1960s European pop meets Gothic horror.
How to Get the Most Out of The Duke of Burgundy
If you're planning on diving into this one, here’s how to actually appreciate it without getting lost in the "artiness":
- Watch it for the comedy. Once you realize Cynthia is basically an actor who hates her job, the movie becomes hilarious. Her delivery of the "harsh" lines is deliberately stiff because she’s bad at being mean.
- Pay attention to the moths. The film uses lepidoptery (the study of moths/butterflies) as a metaphor for the relationship. They are beautiful, fragile, and pinned down under glass.
- Check out Strickland’s other work. If you like the vibe here, his previous film Berberian Sound Studio is a must. It’s more of a horror-adjacent psychological trip, but it shares that same obsession with sound and vintage aesthetics.
- Don't look for a "Duke." Seriously. You'll be waiting the whole time for a guy who never shows up.
The film is currently available on several streaming platforms like IFC Films Unlimited or for rent on Apple TV and Amazon. It’s the perfect "late-night, lights-off" movie. Just don't expect it to explain itself. It’s a movie that trusts you to feel the emotions rather than reading them off a teleprompter.
Honestly, the biggest takeaway from this film isn't about the specific kinks. It's about the compromise. It asks: how much of yourself are you willing to lose to keep the person you love happy? It’s a heavy question, but when it’s wrapped in 70s aesthetics and butterfly wings, it’s a lot easier to swallow.
Next Steps for the Curious:
If the sound design of this movie fascinated you, look up the soundtrack by Cat's Eyes on Spotify. It’s a collaboration between Faris Badwan (from The Horrors) and Rachel Zeffira, and it perfectly captures that "unsettling but beautiful" vibe. You can also look into the films of Jess Franco, specifically Vampyros Lesbos, if you want to see the specific, slightly "dirty" 70s movies that Peter Strickland was tipping his hat to. Just be warned: those ones are way less "classy" than this.