BloodyFM Blog
The Steely Southern Women of Sofia Coppola’s ‘The Beguiled’ [The Lady Killers Podcast]
BloodyFM Blog / Updated: June 3, 2025
“If we learn our lessons properly when young, we can expect a calm and happy life when faced with the distractions of the world.”
Young women in the Civil War-era south were raised to accomplish very specific goals. They were expected to memorize the rules of polite society, learn domestic skills useful in maintaining a home, and develop beguiling talents to reel in potential suitors. But above all, they must remain innocent and pure, never challenging the authority of a man or bringing his motives into question. The students of Martha Farnsworth’s Seminary for Young Ladies have learned their lessons well, but a fox in their peaceful henhouse awakens murderous strength they didn’t know they possessed.
As the headmistress of this exclusive finishing school, Miss Martha (Nicole Kidman) spends her days minding the property and watching for passing troops on both sides of the conflict. One day while picking mushrooms in the nearby woods, her student stumbles upon a wounded Union deserter called Corporal McBurney (Colin Farrell) and brings him back to the house for medical care. Miss Edwina (Kirsten Dunst) is smitten with this smooth-talking stranger while the teenage Alicia (Elle Fanning) has passion in mind. But when McBurney turns the household upside down, Miss Martha considers drastic measures to restore the fragile peace she’s worked hard to maintain.
In the latest episode of the Lady Killers Podcast, co-hosts Jenn Adams and Sammie Kuykendall, are joined by special guest Shelby Novak to chat about the complex women of Sofia Coppola’s entrancing remake. Does Miss Edwina really love McBurney? Does he plan to honor his promise to take her out west? Who’s to blame for his surprise amputation and how did he end up in Alicia’s room? They’ll chat about these questions and more while evaluating their own evolving relationship with this beguiling film.
Stream below and subscribe now via Apple Podcasts and Spotify for future episodes that drop every Thursday.
