Martha Marcy May Marlene Review

Cultism is a superb subject for the movies to tackle. A cult provides filmmakers with the opportunity to explore human relationships in a setting alien to the viewer, a world that is inherently frightening and suspenseful. This unusual setting also affords actors liberty to showcase unique character traits and distinct mannerisms.

Martha Marcy May Marlene and its stars deliver on these opportunities by offering moviegoers a haunting portrait of life inside an abusive cult. The film tells the story of Martha (Elizabeth Olsen) who escapes from a small, isolated clan led by an appropriately charismatic man played by John Hawkes. Fresh off his Oscar-nominated turn in last year’s Winter’s Bone, Hawkes is equally convincing here in a similar role. His charisma is matched only by his creepiness – your skin will crawl as you witness him entrance young women into his frightening community.

The film begins with Martha’s escape and follows her reunion with her older sister Lucy, played by Sarah Paulson. Sarah, oblivious to her sister’s whereabouts over the previous two years, attempts to assimilate Martha back into society. This proves a challenging venture. Martha is frequently overcome by overwhelming paranoia as she remembers her time within the cult. In his first feature-length film, writer/director Sean Durkin explores these memories with numerous flashbacks. The film deftly uses match cuts that jump between the past and present in the form of seamless transitions, aligning Martha’s memories to her current life. These transitions are a bit jarring at first, but as the viewer becomes accustomed to them they serve to highlight the severe impact that the young woman’s recollection has on her every action.

Beyond this structure, the horrors of the cult are dramatized by the unbelievable debut performance of Elizabeth Olsen. You can see her sordid history displayed in her eyes and subtle expressions. In particular, Olsen suitably offers moments of fleeting happiness in her smile, but all the while you observe the crushing weight of her memory visualized in the sadness of her demeanor. Her delivery of dialogue is chilling in his direct effectiveness, reminding viewers with every word that here is a woman with a bleak existence.

Also of note is the cult community itself, which is presented with outstanding realism. I could see the temptation that such a community would offer to vulnerable young women, though this authenticity is somewhat diminished as the film explores the darker attributes of the cult in its latter scenes. The ending itself may be the film’s biggest flaw: the movie builds tension and intrigue to the point that it doesn’t know where to go, and ends with a forced abruptness that is more irritating than thought provoking. Ultimately, Martha Marcy May Marlene will be remembered as a triumph for Olsen. She deserves the widespread praise she has received thus far, and I sincerely hope that the Academy gives her the recognition she deserves in the coming months.

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