“My Cousin Rachel” should appeal to fans of “Masterpiece Theatre” and classic Hollywood movie melodramas such as “Wuthering Heights” (1939) and “Rebecca” (1940).

This should come as no surprise since the movie, “My Cousin Rachel,” is based on the book by English novelist Daphne Du Maurier (1907-1989), author of several novels adapted for the big screen, including “Rebecca,” a 1940 best picture Oscar recipient (of 11 nominations) directed by Alfred Hitchcock that starred Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, and George Sanders, and “The Birds,” a landmark 1963 psychological thriller, also directed by Hitchcock, that starred Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, and Suzanne Pleshette.

“My Cousin Rachel,” starring Rachel Weisz in the title role and directed by Roger Michell, is not the first time this particular novel by Du Maurier hit the big screen. A 1952 version starred Olivia de Havilland in the title role, and also starred Richard Burton, and received four Oscar nominations. There was also a 1983 TV miniseries starring Geraldine Chaplin in the title role.

In “My Cousin Rachel,” Philip (Sam Claflin) suspects Rachel of having killed his stepfather. When Rachel, now a widow, arrives from Italy to visit him at his English country manor, Philip’s suspicion of Rachel turns into an obsession with her.

“My Cousin Rachel” is no “Rebecca,” nor is it “The Birds,” but it is suspenseful and does have elements of a thriller. The direction by Roger Michell (“Morning Glory,” 2010; “Venus,” 2006; “Changing Lanes,” 2002; “Notting Hill,” 1999), who also wrote the screenplay, is uneven.

What especially hampers “My Cousin Rachel” is unfortunate camera placement choices by director of photography Mike Eley (“Nanny McPhee Returns,” 2010), who seems to want to impress the moviegoer with his cleverness. Foregrounds are kept out of focus, the camera often is lurking, scenes between Rachel and Philip are shot from the sides of their heads.

One scene, where Rachel and Philip walk their horses along the ocean, emphasizes the waving wild brush in the foreground, rendering the main characters mere dots in the distance.

We get it that the director was going for epic sweep, and the detail of the 19th century interiors, costumes, livery, as well as the landscape, is lovely, but he seems to have been swept away by the epic-ness.

As Philip, Claflin (“The Huntsman,” 2016; “Me Before You,” 2016; “The Hunger Games,” 2015, 2014, 2013; “Snow White and the Huntsman,” 2012; “Pirates of the Caribbean,” 2011), is a weak element. He grimaces his most every terse emotion or guffaws his most every joyful emotion. He lacks subtlety in bringing out his character’s nuanced emotions, so crucial to the story.

Weisz (“The Light Between Oceans,” 2016; “The Lobster,” 2015; “The Bourne Legacy,” 2012) has the gravitas to play the role and creates a range of emotions in the complex character of Rachel.

Effective in a supporting role is Holliday Grainger (“The Finest Hours,” 2016; “Cinderella,” 2015) as the long-suffering Louise, who has a crush on Philip.

The soundtrack by Rael Jones, especially a recurring piano motif, adds to the film’s moments of creative tension.

If you’re a fan of Weisz, or the novels of Daphne Du Maurier, then you should visit “My Cousin Rachel.”

“My Cousin Rachel,”MPAA rated PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some Material May Be Inappropriate For Children Under 13.) for some sexuality and brief strong language; Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller; Run time: 1 hr., 46 min.; Distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Credit Readers Anonymous:“My Cousin Rachel” was filmed in West Horsley Place, West Horsley, Surrey, England, United Kingdom.

Box Office,June 9: “Cars 3” raced to No. 1, with $53.5 million, opening, with “Wonder Woman” dropping to second place, with a still-strong $40.7 million, $274.6 million, three weeks, as the biopic about rapper Tupac Shakur, “All Eyez on Me,” opened at No. 3 with a solid $27 million.

4. “The Mummy” dropped two places, $13.9 million, $56.5 million, two weeks; 5. “47 Meters Down,” $11.5 million, opening; 6. “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” dropped two places, $8.4 million, $150 million, four weeks; 7. “Rough Night,” $8 million, opening; 8. “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie” dropped five places, $7.3 million, $57.9 million, three weeks; 9. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” dropped four places, $4.9 million, $374.8 million, seven weeks; 10. “It Comes at Night” dropped four places, $2.6 million, $11.1 million, two weeks.

Unreel,June 23:

“Transformers: The Last Knight,”PG-13: Michael Bay directs Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Hopkins, Josh Duhamel, and Laura Haddock in the action, adventure, sci-fi, thriller. This time, humans and Transformers are at war. This is the fifth “Transformers” film. The first was released a decade ago, in 2007. Scenes for “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” released in 2009, were filmed at the former Bethlehem Steel Plant on Bethlehem’s south side, now site of ArtsQuest’s SteelStacks campus, WLVT Channel 39 studios and Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem.

“The Beguiled,”R: Sofia Coppola directs Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning and Colin Farrell in the drama, western. The story is set at a girls’ school in Virginia during the Civil War. Coppola won the Best Director award at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, only the second woman to do so.

Two popcorn boxes out of five popcorn boxes.