'Martha' Is Jumpy Without The Jump Scares
While Martha Marcy May Marlene isn't exactly categorized as a horror film, it certainly feels like one. It's actually scarier than any horror film I've seen in recent years. In my review, I will talk about why.
Story:
Martha Marcy May Marlene is about a woman named Martha (Elizabeth Olsen) who escapes a cult living in the Catskill Mountains and its sinister leader Patrick (John Hawkes), and goes to live with her sister and her husband. While living with them, she struggles to reassemble her life and her sister tries to figure out what happened to her.
What I Liked About It:
First off, the thing that I loved the most about this movie was Elizabeth Olsen. She truly is the heart and soul of this movie, and once you watch her performance, you wouldn't know that she is related to Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Very good actress who gives a strong debut, and I already look forward to her future work.
Another thing I really liked about this film was the direction. The way that Sean Durkin shot it kept the sense of realism that the film has, and he did a fantastic job. Plus, I loved how the film hardly had any music, which just added to the film's creepy factor.
Now what makes this film so scary is the fact that it deals with a cult and how at first they seem like happy, care free, music playing people, but in reality, they are psychopathic. John Hawkes even delivers a creepy yet stellar performance as Patrick, the cult leader. He even has a creepy scene that involves his character singing a soft tune to Martha as a way of manipulating her.
What I Didn't Like About It:
Nothing.
Consensus:
Overall, Martha Marcy May Marlene is a chilling exercise in psychological trauma that features a very strong acting debut from Elizabeth Olsen. If you want to watch a scary movie that doesn't involve gorgeous people getting picked off one by one or jump scares, but rather one that is more psychological and realistic, I would highly recommend this one.
Rating: 5/5
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