A powerful psychological thriller featuring an outstanding Oscar® touted performance from Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene is the critically acclaimed first feature of writer-director Sean Durkin. Olsen plays Martha, a young woman rapidly unravelling amidst her attempt to reclaim a normal life after fleeing from a cult and its charismatic leader (Hawkes).
Taking refuge with her estranged older sister Lucy (Paulson) and brother-in-law (Dancy), Martha has difficulty adapting to unfamiliar behavioural norms, but is unwilling to reveal the truth about where she has been these past years. When her memories trigger a chilling paranoia that her former cult could still be pursuing her, the line between Martha’s reality and delusion begins to blur, leaving audiences gripped to the last frame.
Martha Marcy May Marlene sneaks up on viewers with a barely perceptible sense of oncoming dread. WASHINGTON POST
Martha Marcy May Marlene is an utterly gripping ride that will keep you guessing until the last second about what is real and what imagined, and whether Martha has entirely snapped the tether of sanity. SALON.COM
