The Testament of Ann Lee comes from the team behind last year’s Best Picture-nominated The Brutalist, with a screenplay co-written by Mona Fastvold and Brady Corbet, so it’s no surprise that it’s a visual and thematic delight.

Using gorgeously tactile film grain to paint an idyllic portrait of 18th Century America, The Testament of Ann Lee goes on to tear down the walls of this false idealism with a sharp, politically charged story. Though it feels as though Fastvold and Corbet are holding themselves back by merely brushing over some of the plot’s most compelling ideas, their story is still an enchanting one.

Ann Lee is a fascinating figure; not just the mother of the Shaking Quakers’ movement, but a complex woman in her own right whom Amanda Seyfried brings to life with fierce empathy and staggering emotional range. The film is an overt character study, focusing unflinchingly on Ann Lee’s perspective (perhaps to the film’s detriment) and using her to explore the greater themes of religion, womanhood, and Sєxuality.

The Testament Of Ann Lee’s Story Has Deep Thematic Resonance

Mona Fastvold’s commanding drama is more than a biographical story. Though it charts the historical records of Ann Lee’s journey to America, and her subsequent attempts to share her religious vision with the colonies, the film uses this specific journey to reflect something universal. It’s a catalyst for a richer, more thematic discussion of religion, trauma, and the often irrevocable bond between the two.

Fastvold’s film opens with a subтιтle; The Testament of Ann Lee, or, The Woman Clothed with the Sun with the Moon Under Her Feet. The verse is lifted directly from the Book of Revelations, evoking imagery often used to refer to the second coming of Christ. And yet, Ann Lee isn’t a particularly religious film.

There’s no discussion of whether the Shakers are a legitimate branch of Christianity, or how accurate the historical records of Lee’s religious experience are. The film is much more interested in how Lee’s religious fervor is forged by the trauma and grief that she undergoes at such a young age, sparking a fascinating discussion about the link between faith and suffering.

The Testament Of Ann Lee Features A Sensational Amanda Seyfried Performance

Whether Ann Lee’s free-flowing discussions of religious devotion resonate, the one thing we can agree upon is that Amanda Seyfried turns in career-best work in this rich, demanding role. Not only does she have to reflect such raw, vulnerable grief and suffering, but Ann Lee’s musical numbers also demand a very physical, somatic performance.

The defining aspect of Shaker worship, at least from an outside perspective, is the denomination’s unique “dance” that allows them to release their grief and be cleansed by God. There’s a lot of this physicality in Ann Lee — to the extent that it can sometimes be repeтιтive and dreary — but the musical set pieces are directed with such precision and fluidity that you can almost feel the same liberating spirit flowing through the audience.

There came a moment during one of Seyfried’s many emotional musical numbers when I could almost see her Oscar reel taking form in front of me. Then it happened again, and again, and again. She delivers one of the strongest performances of the entire year in this film, and it would be tragic to see her go unrewarded.

The Testament Of Ann Lee Feels Thin & Underdeveloped At Times

While Seyfried’s performance and Fastvold’s direction are almost without fault, there are several moments where the screenplay touches on some fascinating ideas but then never returns to them again. Whether this is the embarrᴀssingly brief comment on Ann’s brother’s Sєxuality, or the equally hollow representation of the Shaker’s abolitionist politics, the film simply refuses to comment in any meaningful way on these issues.

This feels like an intentional decision at times, as the film is unwaveringly focused on Ann’s internal journey rather than the external politics of the religious movement as a whole, but it leaves the film without a very clear message.

The subtext is there for audiences to understand how Ann’s trauma and Sєxual dysphoria led to her involvement in the Shakers, but the film doesn’t always go far enough to prove why this is important. It’s as though we’re simply watching a story play out. While that’s done brilliantly and with staggering technical prowess, the best films also explain why the story should be told.