Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)

Before Elizabeth Olsen was part of the MCU, she broke into the industry with this very small, very disturbing indie movie, written and directed by Sean Durkin. The story follows Martha in the days following her escape from a Manson-like cult commune. The acting is fantastic across the board, and supporting actors include Sarah Paulson as her confused but loving sister, Hugh Dancy as her arrogant husband, and John Hawkes as the terrifying cult leader.

Most notably, Durkin chose to purposely downplay the cult’s ideology and instead focused on the emotional impact and aftermath of their actions. He also chose a calming pastel colour palette as a great contrast to the turmoil happening on screen. The beautiful landscapes and crisp whites, pinks & blues grate against the manipulation and terror that Martha is feeling. Nothing feels safe, and we the audience can’t tell what’s actually a threat. Something in this world is rotten, just under the surface, and the cult is just the symptom.
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