Martha Marcy May Marlene
2011 · Movie · R · 101 min · ★ 6.6 · 83% critics
After escaping a cult, a young woman calls her estranged sister for help and arrives at her sister’s quiet home with a new husband. But memories from the past keep intruding, leaving her trapped in rising dread and struggling to find any sense of peace.
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Streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
2 hours to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 2011
- Release date
- 2011-10-21
- Language
- English
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Critic score
- 83/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.6/10 (821 votes)
About
You’ll like this if you want a tense, uneasy drama about how escape doesn’t instantly bring safety or clarity; Not for you if you need a fast, fully explained story, or if you prefer clear resolution over ambiguity like The Conjuring or The Path.
Pros: unsettling psychological tension; strong lead performance; standout cult atmosphere | Cons: slow pacing; unclear direction; leaves you unresolved
Themes
- mind control
- rape
- sexual abuse
- sibling relationship
- post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd)
- paranoia
- group sex
- cult
- patriarchy
- polygamy
- connecticut
- memory
- +11 more
Awards & recognition
- Sundance U.S. Directing Award: Dramatic · 2011
Cast & crew
Elizabeth Olsen
as Martha
Sarah Paulson
as Lucy
Hugh Dancy
as Ted
John Hawkes
as Patrick
Brady Corbet
as Watts
Louisa Krause
as Zoe
Christopher Abbott
as Max
Maria Dizzia
as Katie
Julia Garner
as Sarah
Adam David Thompson
as Bartender
Directed by Sean Durkin