A year has past since I first watched this film and with the exception of one or two, not a film has come close. Second to none storytelling and a powerful yet unpretentious performance by Olsen. Outrageously overlooked.

Martha is picked up at the bus stop scared, confused, and alone. As she attempts to settle in to a normal life with her sister, she is haunted by horrible images from the past, where she had become part of a hippie commune led by the persuasive and charismatic Patrick. Martha's nightmares, fear, and paranoia continue to build until she is unable to separate her dreams from reality. First-time director Sean Durkin has struck immediate success with MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE, the award-winning cult drama from 2011. Durkin delicately interlaces the past and the present as he retells Martha's chilling experiences using an organic story structure. It is terrifying to think just how easily an impressionable mind could be manipulated and controlled in such a way, but Durkin takes all of the right steps in disarming the audience in the same way that Patrick has disarmed his followers, perfectly illustrating the power of coercion and the psychological lures that draw people in to such a group. Elizabeth Olsen is phenomenal as Martha, and commits herself mind, body, and soul. There are moments where Martha makes contact with the viewer and causes them to turn away in shame for intruding into her thoughts and emotions. John Hawkes is deadly as Patrick, coming on with a subtle charm that effectively seduces the other characters under his spell before corrupting their minds. MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE will not be easily forgotten, and is a top-contender for Best in 2011.

-Carl Manes
I Like Horror Movies… Collapse

It

I appreciated this film immensely. Very well acted, especially Elizabeth Olsen who is a breath of fresh air, with an intriguing and mysterious plot, where empty space and what was unsaid were just as important as dialogue. Olsen's character was a delight to watch, so unstable as to explode at any moment, and John Hawkes was excellent as always as the unhinged cult leader, a terrifying force. In the end what I appreciated the most was being able to interpret the vagaries of the story myself, without threads being wrapped up neatly; makes for a much more unsettling experience. Great stuff.… Expand

Often times, when we go to the movies and see a great film, we lay back in our seats and go

Martha Marcy May Marlene is one of the best films of 2011. The film has great performances powerful imagery and an outstanding ending. Many have called it ambiguous, but I believe further examination shows otherwise.

Elisabeth is the true star of the Olsen sisterhood. She shines so bright with her assured performance of a damaged soul, wrecked by a horrific cult leader who is played by an equally amazing Hawkes. A harrowing story, masterfully directed is not an easy watch which might haunt you the same way Martha is haunted in the film by her ordeals.

A film that start´s really slow and then abruptly ends, the performances are excellent, the script adds dept but the direction is somewhat weak... mixed reactions about this one.

Elizabeth Olsen is a revelation here as the taut script and direction move seamlessly between past and present, creating an odd, haunting atmosphere that is only reinforced by the finale.

Draw yourself a warm bath because you're going to need one after the heartbreaking Matha Marcy May Marlene. Incredible performance by Elizabeth Olsen who I think got snubbed from the Oscars.

Kind of an exquisite film, a movie about a cult that explores the darker psychological aspects of brain-washing that are so integral to "cult life." All of the actors give fantastic and wide-ranging performances, from Martha/Marcy May/Marlene, to her yuppie sister and her delightfully square husband. The film is beautifully shot, utilizing cuts in subtle and effective fashion, seamlessly weaving from past to present in an interesting and exciting way. It is a quiet movie in the literal sense, the score is never assaulting, and not much really happens, but it is mesmerizing in its silence. Some may say it is a little on the boring side, which may be true, but if you just sit back and allow this film to work on you, and not the other way around, you will be truly amazed at what you find.… Expand

You really won't care about Martha, her sister, her sister's husband, the cult leader, the cult members or anyone else. You'll just be bored and annoyed by the glacial pacing, the inane camera pans, the silly time jumps and the general lack of storytelling. I gave it a one instead of a zero because Sarah Paulson and John Hawkes are good actors who attempt to do something with this awful material. Elizabeth Olson, however, doesn't do much more than stare blankly in scene after boring scene.… Expand

I thoroughly enjoyed the weaving of the past, present and the almost dreamlike state of Martha. The performances were on point but I left the movie with too many unanswered questions. Purposefully made this way to be discussed afterwards I'm sure but I didn't really know what to make of it. For some movies that certainly works but I just needed some more of the story, it was left unfinished in too many areas.… Expand

This last yearâ

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Where was Marlene? After @20 minutes I began fast forwarding to see if anything actually "happens". It finally does, someone gets killed for no reason. Uninteresting story and people. Why is the heroine the way she is? Why was she so lost? Is she strong ? I guess so because she runs away; but why? She must be weak because she believed that rape and abuse are normal. Why was this movie made? What's the point? A film must reach me on at least one emotion. Nothing, hence the grade, reached me. Every generation has it's group that does something different; pushes the envelope; creates an opposite. Sometimes those with too much time on their hands, grab on and tell us to "Look at the emperor's beautiful clothes" because there is very little going on. They try to convince us the clothes are beautiful when in fact this emperor is not wearing anything; like the heroine.… Expand

Amazing film - very sinister and reminiscent of Funny Games where the nothing is allowed to fill the eerie silence. Elisabeth Olsen's performance was truly superb and deserves the plaudits, awards and nominations she's receiving at the moment - one to watch for the future. The suspense and tension throughout the film made you wish to be put out of your misery (in a very good way). Expecting big things from director Sean Dirking in the very near future...bravo… Expand

Althought not as good as Black Swan, MMMM is certainly the best psychological thriller of 2011. Olsen is an absolute surprise. Had to see this twice. It's very slow-paced but, if you commit , very fragile, intense and disturbing as well. What I appreciated the most was that lots of issues were not explicitly settled but you can decode them, you can see where they are. Those subtleties made the movie. Just wondered why the trailer has some scenes which don't appear in the official version.… Expand

I never expected this film to glue me to the screen. Mention-worthy performance from Elizabeth Olsen. The cast played their parts well. The screenplay was admirable. And, the ending will make you think the film has gone broken and you missed the remaining minutes of the movie. No ending as this was a cliff-hanger this year in the movies. movienotesbook.blogspot.com

I hate movies that leave me with a question mark at the end, but this takes away what it was a movie that I agree with the expectation until the last minute but ultimately disappointed, I have to praise the performance of Elisabeth Olsen magnificent. btw: the song of Marcy, damn addictive.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. An interesting exploration of PTSD, and well-acted by all. But the frustration of a couple of characters who don't do what you really, really want them to do culminates in an abrupt, unsatisfying ending.… Expand

I think most people will probably understand this movie logically, but it's vital to understand it deeply, because it talks about how bad she wants a different point of view over life. She wants something more than what it's shown for most people, so she searches for this alternative group of people to develop herself, but her error is in pushing the situation to its extreme, because clearly (in my opinion) they're radical beings who try to attract people that have different analysis about the world. However, they're intentionally bad, because obviously they like to create a law on their own, and by that they try to take advantage of people. They're messed up, they left their disorders get the best of them, and it turns out that what they're actually doing is nothing more than screwing up with themselves. /Martha is someone neurotic, but she's a good person, and she does not realize that those creatures are trying to manipulate her, to change her for the sake of their welfare. She doesn't need that kind of environment, she needs to focus in the right way, and by that would be pursuing her philosophy and growing it into a healthy life, where soul matters, where you achieve a true connection with your higher self. And of course neither living the normal life supported by the thesis you have to build a career like everybody else nor living in a place made by people who try to live freely with abusive ways towards human condition and that eventually corrupts.
/Sure, for most people who watched, the movie will mean that her sister and her sisterâ… Expand

The Sundance Rural Thriller, not one of my favorite genres, has been kind of on the rise as of late, and Martha Martha Martha Martha . might be one of the better of the lot. All the talk around the film is around the praiseworthy debut of the other Olsen sister, and that showering of attention is justified. Whatâ

While this is getting rave reviews, I personally had a miserable time with "Martha Marcy May Marlene." First of all, in any movie the characters need to go through some kind of transformation so we can understand what they're going through. In a way, Martha does change. There are a series of flashbacks that show her happy and carefree as she settles into the cult of a sex crazed looney. Then we see her psychologically damaged after she's escaped and living with her sister. But the movie establishes these two sides of Martha early on and very little is done in the end to give us a complete picture of who Martha is as a person. I also didn't care too much for the outcome of her character. While Elizabeth Olsen gives a knockout debut performance, I found her character to be very self-centered and foolish. First, she was stupid to have joined the cult and believe all of the stupid babble the leader spewed on her. Then she refuses to even hint at what happened to her with her sister. I understand that a person would have a hard time opening up about traumatic events, but they at least need to understand that she's been through some messed up times. She never lets them know. It becomes very frustrating to deal with. Then to top it all off, the movie ends at a random point. I felt like I went through enough trouble in this film to get some kind of conclusion, but the movie leaves us with none. I saw a lot of similarities between "Martha Marcy May Marlene" and "Take Shelter," but the biggest differences for me were the characters and execution. The characters in "Take Shelter" were compelling enough that it could end on a cliffhanger and get away with it. The characters in " Martha" on the other hand, were rather unlikable. Also, the ending is beautifully executed in "Take Shelter," while in "Marcy" the movie ends like the projectionist forgot to put on the last reel.… Expand

There is a quiet dread that lurks over every scene in Sean Durkin's masterful feature debut, Martha Marcy May Marlene. The movie tells a story of a young woman, Martha, who flee's an abusive cult and stays with her sister. While safe with her family, Martha's growing paranoia takes over as the film shifts effortlessly between reality, dream, and memory. We see what Martha sees. The film features a breakout performance from Elizabeth Olsen who is magnetic in the title role. She delivers the breakout performance of the year and I hope that it takes her as far as last years Jennifer Lawrence and she is awarded with an Oscar nomination. There has been a lot of talk revolving around the ambiguity of the movie. There are no answers for some of what we see on screen but I gather that that is the point. The movie is told from Martha's perspective. We are left to wonder, just like her, how much of what is going on is real or in her mind. Martha Marcy May Marlene is a glorious feature with strong performances, beautiful cinematography and editing, and an ending that will leave many frustrated by its ambiguity but also reward everyone with conversation after it is done. One of the best films of the year.… Expand

I'm sorry, but while watching Martha Marcy May Marlene, I was never once frightened, worried, or even disturbed. After watching the film and reading what people were saying I just felt like I had missed something very important. I never once felt that the cult, whose practices she seemed to embrace were coming after her. For the bulk of the flashbacks, or whatever you want to call them, she seemed to be okay with whatever bizarre rituals were taking place. I don't know what she was so afraid of. But still, this Olsen twin who appears to have eaten a meal in her life, was interesting to watch. Her interactions with her sister were the moments where I felt the most on edge. Captivating stuff. I desperately wanted to understand her fear, but the film didn't have me buying it.… Expand

With such a lyrical title, you'd think this was a sweet story about a young girl, but you'd be wrong. Elizabeth Olsen (younger sister of the twins) plays a very troubled young woman who leaves a small cult to find refuge with her sister. Even though she's separated physically, she can't escape the emotional damage. The film alternates between both worlds without ever giving enough resolution in either (don't get me started on the ending). The narrative flow is disrupted by brief scenes that dole out snippets of revelation, but never build to a cohesive whole. The slow pacing only adds to the frustration.… Expand

Well told story of a troubled girl to say the least. The movies disturbing narrative exceeds making hairs stand up on you neck, it painfully pricks them leaving you with no choice but to continue watching, yes that's a good thing. Watching "MMMM" re-develop her relationship with her sister, (or should I stay corrupt further) was more intense to watch than the cult like farm life. The movie has good cinematography and Olsens performance is better than the older sisters life work combined. I hope the academy recognizes her performance.… Expand

The film is at once disorienting and intriguing, about a girl's personality disintegration from a cult background to a blur with reality, and everything in between. The flashbacks serve to underscore how reality changes perceptibly with the past, with a very surprising, unexpected ending that seems puzzling at first but when put in perspective is a brilliant culmination to this excellent film. The clue to the entire movie is in the title, and requires thinking away from the normal. I recommend this film with only minimal reservation. Superb acting and a chilling plot make for great entertainment for the thinking individual.… Expand

Martha Marcy May Marlene continuously cuts back and forth between past and present. However, the audience could have used a lot more past and a bit more present to help understand more about Martha (Elizabeth Olsen). The past shows Marthaâ

Like another reviewer, I also left this film feeling very disturbed and sure I would have nightmares (didn't), so any film that can produce that kind of emotional reaction gets a thumbs up from me. It was not a perfect film, but overall really well done. I enjoyed the split time-line way of telling the story, always trying to guess what time period I was watching. Thought Elizabeth Olsen was very effective, but once again agree that Jennifer Lawrence would have been better cast (MarcDoyle we ought to compare notes on film). So it's worth the time and $, go.… Expand

The seamless shifting between present and past is artful and unique, but just when it's picking up pace and drawing the story lines together it ends. It just stops. Could have been so much better with 20 more minutes.

Who knew it was so easy to start a cult? I found the script lacking in depth and imagination. I just didn't buy it. If it was Kool-Aid, I would have spit it out.

This movie is remarkable for it's ability to describe the garden variety psychological flashback that survivors of psychological trauma experience. The main character Martha can't always tell the past from the present, and to free herself from the disturbing confusion, usually responds to present situations with the kind of inappropriate behavior that she learned and was encouraged to use while she belonged to a cult. The cult is creepy, no argument there, but the eerie tone of the movie comes from our own our vicariously experiencing Martha's flashbacks. The movie's ability to throw us into Martha's confused and disturbed mind, it's startlingly original, but for someone not willing to take the bait, it's just another psychological terror flick, but a really good one at that!… Expand

So what if it's turgid, banal, and entirely in love with itself? At least it's slow. What a turkey. And can you imagine the suits panicking over the title? "Do we HAVE to call it 'Marth... Mary... no, Merle'... oh what the CHRIST is the name of this thing again?? Can't we just call it 'Lots of Young Naked People Swimming'?"