Dir: Sean Durkin
Starring: Elizabeth
Olsen, Sarah Paulson, John Hawkes
Martha
(Elizabeth Olsen) goes to live with her sister and husband after she has fled a
cult where she has been for the past two years. She struggles to adjust to the
new life.
Coming
with festival buzz and awards, the film comes with high expectations particularly
of Olsen who is stepping out of her sisters’ dwindling shadows to become an
acting presence of her own. The film begins with Martha leaving a house in
which she stays with a few other people and ending up at her sister’s house. We
then find out what happened at the other house through flashbacks between her
adjusting to the new life with her sister. There are some interesting points to
see as Martha adjusts to a wealthier lifestyle which she is not used to, her sister’s
life seeming empty to her. The flashbacks to the cult house are more interesting
as we see slowly find out why Martha left. It is the cult which the most
interesting part of the film and it is disappointing that we don’t get to see
more of it. John Hawkes plays Patrick, the cult leader, well, showing how he
manipulates his followers, playing on their own self esteem and fears. Elizabeth
Olsen is as good as people are saying and it will be interesting to see what
she does in the future.
The
problem with the film is that it doesn’t really do anything and doesn’t particularly
build to anything despite the fairly interesting ending. You never really get a
sense of foreboding or a sinister presence. Marlene reacts to a hired barman at
a house party, saying she knows him, thinking him to be a member of the cult
but we are never sure what she thinks is true; she is certainly a damaged girl.
Though the film would never be a horror film, it never takes the premise of the
possible lurking danger of the cult coming and finding her further. We get the
idea that she is damaged but any paranoia that is brought up is undercut by her
acting bored, hardly caring and certainly not someone who is afraid they could
be taken back at any time. The same goes for the relationship between Martha
and her sisters’ husband. Very slight hints are given that there is something
strange going on but then nothing does, so any hints seems pointless. The
running time went at a good pace and the film never outstayed its welcome but I
was never particularly bothered about the characters so I was left cold at the
end of the film.
A film
not without its interesting points but it isn’t as good as it could have been. Good
acting but it is ultimately forgettable.
3 out of 5 Buttons
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