Martha Marcy May Marlene

Martha is a damaged young woman attempting to re-connect with her sister and re-establish normality after fleeing from an isolated cult. Her years of life under the watchful eye of the commune’s predatory leader have left Martha haunted by paranoia and painful memories. Cutting between her present life and that from which she’s escaped, the film deftly explores Martha’s emotional and physical entrapment. Elizabeth Olsen gives a standout performance as the vulnerable Martha, and John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone) is equally powerful in his role as manipulative cult leader.