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Posted 1/23/2026
Directed by Mona Fastvold and co-written with Brady Corbet, The Testament of Ann Lee is a visionary, large-scale musical drama that reimagines the 18th-century origin of the Shaker movement. Amanda Seyfried delivers a career-defining, Golden Globe-nominated performance as Ann Lee, a Manchester factory worker who, haunted by the tragic loss of her four children, experiences a series of divine visions. Believing herself to be the female embodiment of Christ, she preaches a radical doctrine of celibacy, pacifism, and gender equality. The film follows her arduous journey from the grime of industrial England to the open frontier of pre-revolutionary America, where she and her devoted "clika" of followers attempt to build a communal utopia amidst brutal religious persecution and the political upheaval of the burgeoning Revolution.
Esuring a traditional Broadway style, the film functions as a "gothic folk-fable" that uses ecstatic, convulsive musical numbers to represent the Shakers’ signature worship rituals. With lush, 70mm cinematography inspired by Barry Lyndon, Fastvold balances the visceral reality of colonial life with the ethereal, often unsettling nature of spiritual transcendence. The narrative, framed by the perspective of a young follower (Thomasin McKenzie), explores how personal grief and trauma can be transmuted into a powerful, collective faith. Ultimately, The Testament of Ann Lee is a haunting meditation on the search for divine safety, illustrating how one woman’s radical conviction challenged the social and religious foundations of early America, leaving a legacy of equality and craftsmanship that persists today.
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