The Testament of Ann Lee Is Like No Other Movie You’ve Seen

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In today’s film landscape, does sheer originality still matter? Mona Fastvold’s The Testament of Ann Lee is certainly different. It’s a musical about Ann Lee, the 18th-century founder of a religious group who envisioned a perfect society – and believed the path to salvation lay in abstinence. It’s not a typical crowd-pleaser, to say the least. But at a time when we’re constantly fed simple, pre-packaged content, as if our imaginations have atrophied, this film actually challenges us to think. The Testament of Ann Lee might just be a fascinating experiment, but it has something many big-budget movies don’t: it keeps you engaged from beginning to end.

Amanda Seyfried plays Lee in a film that starts at the very beginning of her life. The story is told like a fairy tale by Mary Partington (Thomasin McKenzie), who narrates Lee’s birth in 1736 Manchester, England, and her happy childhood with her brother, William. Lee is a hardworking and devout child who diligently works at her loom, protecting herself from dust. However, she’s bothered by her mother constantly having more children—the family has over a dozen kids—and she correctly connects this to her parents’ intimate life, which isn’t easily hidden in their small home. Later, Lee marries a blacksmith, Abraham (Christopher Abbott), and initially enjoys their physical relationship. But Abraham discovers an explicit book and introduces her to sexual practices she finds unsettling. This experience likely shapes her later belief that abstaining from sex is the best path.

What really struck me about the film wasn’t just the personal struggles, but how deeply Ann Lee’s beliefs took hold. She joined this incredible group, the Shaking Quakers – imagine services filled with chanting, these wild, joyful dances, and just pure, raw emotion. She was so magnetic, so genuinely devoted, that people naturally started to follow her, and she became known as Mother. Her brother, William, was right there with her, becoming her closest ally. But before all of that, the film shows her heartbreaking losses – she lost four children, and it’s portrayed in a really powerful, honest way. There’s one scene that especially stayed with me: her husband, Abraham, gently trying to take a stillborn baby from her arms, and she just… couldn’t let go. It was incredibly moving and respectful.

Lee developed strong beliefs about what a true religion should be, attracting a growing number of followers. This led to accusations of witchcraft and repeated imprisonment. In 1774, she and her dedicated group sailed to North America on a dilapidated ship, eventually establishing a community in upstate New York. They aimed to create an egalitarian society where everyone contributed and shared in the community’s prosperity, while also practicing celibacy. Understandably, people considered the Shakers unusual and even extreme, and they continued to face hostility, sometimes violent.

Fastvold handles this often-difficult story with a delicate touch, occasionally adding musical numbers. These songs, composed by Daniel Blumberg and reminiscent of Shaker hymns, explore themes of faith, labor, and spiritual yearning. The choreography, created by Celia Rowlson-Hall and based on Shaker traditions, is energetic and sharp, similar to the work of Twyla Tharp. While fans of Shaker design won’t see much of it until the final act, the film truly shines in a surprisingly thrilling scene involving the making of a Shaker box. If this movie had a classic horror-movie trailer, the tagline would be, “You won’t be able to sit still during the daring Shaker-box-making scene!” This sequence, set to a mesmerizing song with the repeating chorus “I love Mother, I love her way,” is both calming and strangely disturbing – and it’s the most memorable part of the film.

Lee, as a character, can be quite irritating with her strong beliefs about avoiding intimacy and staying committed, but the movie seems oblivious to this. It consistently portrays her as admirable and pure, even when she’s clearly flawed. The film almost idolizes Lee, and never questions how unsettling it is for one person to receive so much unwavering praise. (The screenplay was written by director Emma Fastvold and her husband, Brady Corbet, who also frequently collaborates with her; their previous film was The Brutalist.)

The fact that Ann Lee is portrayed as a strong, driven woman is significant. Traditionally, history attributes charisma to men and limits women to mere charm. This film breaks from that pattern, telling a unique story in a way few directors would dare. Seyfried’s performance is truly exceptional; her captivating presence convincingly conveys a connection to something otherworldly. She elevates even the script’s most awkward lines, transforming them into moments of beauty. It’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role, and frankly, the film itself feels unprecedented – a bold undertaking in a culture often resistant to risk-taking.

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2025-12-25 16:08