Martha Marcy May Marlene
Encyclopedia
Martha Marcy May Marlene is a 2011 American psychological thriller film
written and directed by Sean Durkin, and starring Elizabeth Olsen
(her film debut), John Hawkes
, Sarah Paulson
, and Hugh Dancy
. The plot focuses on a young woman suffering from delusions and paranoia
after returning to her family from an abusive cult
in the Catskill Mountains
.
), a young woman who flees from an abusive cult in the Catskill Mountains
that is led by an enigmatic leader, Patrick (John Hawkes
). Lucy (Sarah Paulson
), Martha's older sister, receives a call from a pay phone one day from Martha, asking her to come and get her. Martha, who has been missing for two years, slowly begins to assimilate into her sister's family, but her increasing paranoia leads her to believe that Patrick and his cult may still be watching her every move.
in January, with Durkin winning the festival's U.S. Directing Award for Best Drama. It also screened in the Un Certain Regard
section at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival
. The film has a limited release
in the United States on October 21, 2011.
, with the consensus capsule stating, "Led by a mesmerizing debut performance from Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene is a distinctive, haunting psychological drama." On Metacritic
, the film has a 76 out of 100 "Metascore".
In its opening weekend in limited release, Martha Marcy May Marlene grossed $137,651 in the United States.
Psychological thriller
Psychological thriller is a specific sub-genre of the broad ranged thriller with heavy focus on characters. However, it often incorporates elements from the mystery and drama genre, along with the typical traits of the thriller genre...
written and directed by Sean Durkin, and starring Elizabeth Olsen
Elizabeth Olsen
Elizabeth Chase Olsen is an American actress and is the younger sister of Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen, and Trent Olsen...
(her film debut), John Hawkes
John Hawkes (actor)
John Hawkes is an American film and television actor. He is known for his portrayal of the merchant Sol Star on the HBO series Deadwood, Dustin Powers on Eastbound & Down, and his Academy Award-nominated performance as the menacing backwoods meth addict Teardrop in Winter's Bone.-Life and...
, Sarah Paulson
Sarah Paulson
-Career:She was a series regular on the cult television show American Gothic and the WB series Jack & Jill , playing the character "Elisa Cronkite"...
, and Hugh Dancy
Hugh Dancy
- Early life and career :Dancy was born in Stoke-on-Trent, the son of British philosopher Jonathan Dancy, a professor at the University of Reading and at the University of Texas at Austin. His mother, Sarah, is a publisher. His brother, Jack, is a co-director of the travel company, Trufflepig...
. The plot focuses on a young woman suffering from delusions and paranoia
Paranoia
Paranoia [] is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself...
after returning to her family from an abusive cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
in the Catskill Mountains
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
.
Plot
The film focuses on Martha (Elizabeth OlsenElizabeth Olsen
Elizabeth Chase Olsen is an American actress and is the younger sister of Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen, and Trent Olsen...
), a young woman who flees from an abusive cult in the Catskill Mountains
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
that is led by an enigmatic leader, Patrick (John Hawkes
John Hawkes (actor)
John Hawkes is an American film and television actor. He is known for his portrayal of the merchant Sol Star on the HBO series Deadwood, Dustin Powers on Eastbound & Down, and his Academy Award-nominated performance as the menacing backwoods meth addict Teardrop in Winter's Bone.-Life and...
). Lucy (Sarah Paulson
Sarah Paulson
-Career:She was a series regular on the cult television show American Gothic and the WB series Jack & Jill , playing the character "Elisa Cronkite"...
), Martha's older sister, receives a call from a pay phone one day from Martha, asking her to come and get her. Martha, who has been missing for two years, slowly begins to assimilate into her sister's family, but her increasing paranoia leads her to believe that Patrick and his cult may still be watching her every move.
Cast
- Elizabeth OlsenElizabeth OlsenElizabeth Chase Olsen is an American actress and is the younger sister of Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen, and Trent Olsen...
as Martha - John HawkesJohn Hawkes (actor)John Hawkes is an American film and television actor. He is known for his portrayal of the merchant Sol Star on the HBO series Deadwood, Dustin Powers on Eastbound & Down, and his Academy Award-nominated performance as the menacing backwoods meth addict Teardrop in Winter's Bone.-Life and...
as Patrick - Sarah PaulsonSarah Paulson-Career:She was a series regular on the cult television show American Gothic and the WB series Jack & Jill , playing the character "Elisa Cronkite"...
as Lucy - Hugh DancyHugh Dancy- Early life and career :Dancy was born in Stoke-on-Trent, the son of British philosopher Jonathan Dancy, a professor at the University of Reading and at the University of Texas at Austin. His mother, Sarah, is a publisher. His brother, Jack, is a co-director of the travel company, Trufflepig...
as Ted - Brady CorbetBrady CorbetBrady James Monson Corbet is an American actor. Corbet is known for playing Mason Freeland in the film Thirteen, Brian Lackey in the film Mysterious Skin, Alan Tracy in the 2004 film Thunderbirds, and Peter in the 2008 film Funny Games...
as Watts - Christopher Abbott as Max
- Michael Chmiel as Scruffy man
- Maria DizziaMaria DizziaMaria Teresa Dizzia is an American stage and screen actress. She was nominated for the 2010 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for her performance in In the Next Room ...
as Katie - Julia Garner as Sarah
- Louisa Krause as Zoe
Release
Martha Marcy May Marlene premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival2011 Sundance Film Festival
The 27th annual Sundance Film Festival took place from January 20, 2011 until January 30, 2011 in Park City, Utah, with screenings in Salt Lake City, Utah, Ogden, Utah, and Sundance, Utah....
in January, with Durkin winning the festival's U.S. Directing Award for Best Drama. It also screened in the Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. It is run at the Salle Debussy, parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob...
section at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival
2011 Cannes Film Festival
The 64th annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 11 to May 22, 2011. American actor Robert De Niro served as the president of the jury for the main competition and French filmmaker Michel Gondry headed the jury for the short film competition...
. The film has a limited release
Limited release
Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country ....
in the United States on October 21, 2011.
Reception
The film has received mostly positive reviews; it holds an 89% "fresh" rating (Fresh 119/Rotten 15) on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, with the consensus capsule stating, "Led by a mesmerizing debut performance from Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene is a distinctive, haunting psychological drama." On Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, the film has a 76 out of 100 "Metascore".
In its opening weekend in limited release, Martha Marcy May Marlene grossed $137,651 in the United States.