The Liberation

A patient and graceful film that generously laments the pain of an unfulfilled woman.

Coon’s dazzling performance never lets the audience believe she’s a fool, or just dumb for getting sucked into this cult. We feel her pain at every turn, while never justifying her most painful decisions.

It’s a heartbreaking and profound act of love, anchored by a trio of powerhouse performances in Coon, James, and Bella Ramsey.

Coon’s talent and focus carry much here. Ramsey’s work as Ella and an audience surrogate, meanwhile, is some of the young performer’s best yet, and really worth rooting for. But deeper exploration is sometimes lacking.

Coon’s performance endures, an actor we typically associate with strength showing how convincingly fragile she can be.

At worst, The Liberation is a superb actor’s showcase.