SummaryMartha Marcy May Marlene is a powerful psychological thriller starring Elizabeth Olsen as Martha, a young woman rapidly unraveling amidst her attempt to reclaim a normal life after fleeing from a cult and its charismatic leader. Seeking help from her estranged older sister Lucy and brother-in-law, Martha is unable and unwilling to reveal the trut... Read More
Directed By:Sean Durkin
Written By:Sean Durkin
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Metascore
Generally Favorable
75
User score
Generally Favorable
7.1
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
85% Positive
33 Reviews
33 Reviews
10% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
5% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Oct 27, 2011
100
Moves from its protagonist's dream state to her memories to her waking present in imperceptible shifts - the effect is disorienting, at first, but ingenious.
Oct 20, 2011
90
A film of rough edges and no easy answers, nearly perfect in its imperfection.
User score
Generally Favorable
71% Positive
99 Ratings
99 Ratings
22% Mixed
31 Ratings
31 Ratings
7% Negative
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
May 2, 2017
10
A brilliant psychological thriller about trauma, MMMM explores the mentality of a cult and its followers with admirable restraint and nuance. Very undervalued.
Feb 25, 2013
10
A year has past since I first watched this film and with the exception of one or two, not a film has come close. Second to none storytelling and a powerful yet unpretentious performance by Olsen. Outrageously overlooked.
Oct 20, 2011
88
It's Olsen, as a damaged soul clinging to shifting ground, who makes this spellbinder impossible to shake.
Oct 27, 2011
80
Durkin reveals how the sisters have been pulled in opposite directions by the death of their parents. But the story structure also nurtures a creeping, finally unbearable dread that may have you looking over your shoulder all the way home.
Nov 3, 2011
78
Durkin's film seems to exist in its own fractured dream state. It's hypnotic, narcotic, and trembling on the verge of either dread or redemption or some hazy state of nothingness in between.
Oct 19, 2011
75
Creepy and serenely suspenseful, Martha Marcy May Marlene is a riveting study in what it's like to escape from a physically, psychologically abusive cult, and how hard it is to return to normal life after being brainwashed.
Oct 27, 2011
25
Martha Marcy May Marlene is a strange case, a drama that's disturbing and yet inert. Writer-director Sean Durkin builds an atmosphere of dread, which means that he persuades us to believe in the characters and in the central situation. But he doesn't build interest.
Oct 20, 2012
10
Martha Marcy May Marlene is one of the best films of 2011. The film has great performances powerful imagery and an outstanding ending. Many have called it ambiguous, but I believe further examination shows otherwise.
Nov 1, 2013
6
Two things stopped me from enjoying this...film...? Yes, there's the fact it feels incomplete and without a proper ending to do the movie justice, making it feel more like a book instead of a film. Secondly there are constant flash-backs throughout the movie which appear from absolute no where and can cause confusion if not keeping a careful watch on the progression of the characters present in Martha Marcy May Marlene.
Nov 3, 2011
3
Martha Marcy May Marlene continuously cuts back and forth between past and present. However, the audience could have used a lot more past and a bit more present to help understand more about Martha (Elizabeth Olsen). The past shows Marthaâ
Mar 25, 2013
2
I'm late in viewing this film and then seeing these reviews... I'm astounded by the number of people who found this really spoke to them. It's not a terrible movie.... just hollow at the core. It uses minimalism for a subject that deserves a lot more story and script to describe what is going on psychologically. This attempt is not ambitious enough to go there. Instead, it is just kind of prurient and blanky dismal.
Production Company:
- Fox Searchlight Pictures
- Maybach Film Productions
- Cunningham & Maybach Films
- FilmHaven Entertainment
- BorderLine Films
- This Is That Productions
Release Date:Oct 21, 2011
Duration:2 h
Rating:R
Awards
Denver Film Critics Society
• 6 Nominations
Golden Trailer Awards
• 1 Win & 5 Nominations
Central Ohio Film Critics Association
• 1 Win & 5 Nominations
