Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)
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A young woman struggling with PTSD from a violent cult commune attempts to reintegrate into society while being haunted by her past.
The story
Martha, a 22-year-old woman, escapes a violent and sexually abusive cult in the Catskill Mountains after two years of abuse. She arrives in a nearby town and is briefly confronted by a cult member before being taken to a vacation lake house in Connecticut by her sister, Lucy, and Lucy's husband, Ted. Martha exhibits erratic behavior, including sleeping constantly and arguing with her sister about her lifestyle. As Lucy and Ted attempt to help her adjust to a normal life, Martha's trauma and strange behaviors create significant tension within the household.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After escaping a cult in the Catskill Mountains where she was abused by the patriarch Patrick, Martha is taken to a lake house in Connecticut by her sister Lucy and Lucy's husband Ted. Martha struggles with PTSD, exhibiting erratic behavior and arguing with her sister about her past. She eventually attempts to call the cult, discovering her friend Zoe is not there and speaking briefly with the matriarch, Katie. Through flashbacks, it is revealed that Martha was recruited by Zoe, drugged and raped by Patrick as a 'cleansing ritual,' and forced to participate in burglaries and a murder. Back in the present, Martha has a psychotic episode during a party, leading Ted to suggest a psychiatric hospital, which Lucy initially rejects. After a nightmare leads Martha to kick Ted down the stairs, Lucy threatens to commit her. They eventually reconcile briefly, but as Martha prepares to leave for the hospital, a man resembling Patrick appears and follows them in a vehicle.
- First release year
- 2011
- Runtime (minutes)
- 102
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Sean Durkin
- Writers
- Sean Durkin · writer; Sean Durkin · director
- Cast and characters
- Elizabeth Olsen · Martha; John Hawkes · Watts; Sarah Paulson · Lucy; Hugh Dancy · Ted
- Genres
- psychological thriller; drama
- Themes
- trauma; cult dynamics; PTSD; abuse
- Tone and mood
- haunting; psychological; disturbing
- Premise and plot tags
- psychological thriller; drama; cult; PTSD; independent film
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews and critical acclaim, particularly for the performances of Elizabeth Olsen and John Hawkes. It was praised as a distinctive and haunting psychological drama.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 90% · scale: fresh
- Awards and nominations
- Directing Award · Best Drama · win
- Production trivia
- Sean Durkin made a short film titled Mary Last Seen about cult recruitment to show the world Martha was in.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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