Fastvold marks the agony and the ecstasy of ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’

Cinema | January 5th, 2026

By Greg Carlson

Director Mona Fastvold’s “The Testament of Ann Lee” frequently writhes and gesticulates with a hypnotizing mysticism that mirrors the fervor of its title character. At its absolute best when reaching for the strange and inexplicable, the movie — stunningly photographed by William Rexer — also shrinks and retreats when focused on the more basic historical outlines of the early development of the Shaker faith in the northwest of England and then New York in the late 1700s. Presented as a quasi-musical with choreographed numbers that draw from original hymns and showcase new songs by composer/arranger Daniel Blumberg (who received an Oscar for his work on “The Brutalist”), “The Testament of Ann Lee” features a powerful, career-best lead performance by Amanda Seyfried.

As a curious period piece of relocation to America, “The Testament of Ann Lee” makes an intriguing companion to “The Brutalist.” Fastvold and partner Brady Corbet co-wrote both films, which often vibrate with resplendent visual storytelling and bold ambition. At 215 minutes, “The Brutalist” tested the patience of several otherwise impressed critics (and plenty of viewers). “Ann Lee,” at 137 minutes, is tight by comparison, but the new movie will also face claims that the whole operation might have been better served by a leaner running time. Fastvold has a tendency to repeat/recycle some narrative elements, looking for a balance of vibes versus plotting that doesn’t always click.

As Lee, Seyfried anchors a solid supporting cast that includes the always dependable Thomasin McKenzie as friend Mary Partington, Lewis Pullman as Ann’s brother William, and Christopher Abbott as Ann’s frustrated husband Abraham. Tim Blake Nelson shows up late in the story as Pastor Reuben Wright. Fastvold will use a variety of obstacles, both human and in the form of social constructs, as villains. Saving the most significant violence for the last sections of the movie, the director harnesses the irony of angry citizens acting in opposition to the Shakers as a means to cultivate sympathy for the eccentric worshippers.

While Fastvold’s devotion to the single-minded odyssey of her central character earns respect, one wonders whether closer consideration of Ann’s inner thoughts would have opened the gates to a more satisfying arc. We come to understand Ann’s total commitment to the celibacy that counters the procreation/multiplication doctrine linked to so many sects, Christian and otherwise. I was one of many kids who, upon learning of Shakers in Sunday school and history class, couldn’t wrap my head around the beliefs of a group that would quickly go extinct if all the members adhered to the directive to forsake marriage and renounce “lustful gratifications.”

The film deals to some degree with this conundrum, but Fastvold is much more successful in communicating how a charismatic leader with total commitment to a cause draws others to herself and to the fold. Lee’s rejection of Abraham as a sexual partner and husband in a position of authority pairs with the heartbreaking and unfathomable loss of four children in infancy to underline the director’s feminist themes. Seyfried infuses Ann Lee with an iron-willed conviction to build a more perfect world. Whether we read her actions as a shrewd and canny roadmap to bodily autonomy and independence from tradition or as the ecstatic lunacy of a false prophet, the figure of Mother Ann is a force of nature and a force of spirit.

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