Review of Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011) by Jane M — 30 Jun 2012

I don't know why reviewers classify this as a thriller. The goal doesn't seem to be to tell an exciting story or thrill the audience in any way. It is not a typical movie at all. I experienced it as a direct look at cult life and the impact of a difficult childhood immeasurably complicated by the experience of living in a cult.

I didn't find the movie entertaining in any way, on any level. But it did effectively create the feeling for the viewer, in a small way, of what it must feel like for the former cult member who is the subject of the film.