Elizabeth Olsen gives an Oscar-worthy performance in a film that fails by comparison. Written and directed by Sean Durkin, it’s the story of Martha (Olsen) who defects a cult in an attempt to regain a normal life in the home of her estranged sister (Sarah Paulson) and her husband (Hugh Dancy). Martha grapples with trying to understand and reveal the truth about her disappearance. The story shifts between fear and hope, insanity and normal, reality and dreams.
For awhile, and after going through a ritual of cleansing, and then rape Martha became a “teacher and a leader.” Now she’s seemingly back to nothing. Like all Charles Manson-ish cults, these gurus of sin make the victim feel heard and needed, often for the first time in their life.
The camera locks itself on Olsen’s angelic face for long shots begging the question “are her flashbacks a memory or a dream?” Afterall, her sister claims she’s been MIA for two years. May have been better off if she stayed away a little longer. One tiara