![\"Amanda](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/SEI_264606824-f5f0.jpg\")
\n\t\tA historical musical biopic like nothing else \u2013 The Testament of Ann Lee (Picture: Charades)<\/p>\n
\t\t
\n\t\tA historical musical biopic like nothing else \u2013 The Testament of Ann Lee (Picture: Charades)<\/p>\n
The Testament of Ann Lee<\/a> is unlike any film I\u2019ve ever seen \u2013 it\u2019s more of an experience than a movie \u2013 and one likely to turn off some cinemagoers.<\/p>\n It\u2019s highly theatrical, experimental and sometimes weird, but so committed to its radical approach that I was not only won over, but actually moved. There\u2019s also a career-best dramatic performance from Amanda Seyfried<\/a> in the eponymous role.<\/p>\n From the team behind The Brutalist, which wowed Venice Film Festival<\/a> last year and became an awards season darling<\/a>, this time co-writer Mona Fastvold is at the helm while The Brutalist\u2019s director Brady Corbet takes on producing and screenplay duties alongside Fastvold, his real-life partner.<\/p>\n They are back at the Lido just 12 months later. But this is something totally different: the only things that really tie these two films together are the extraordinary talent and dedication of their creative teams and the shoe-string budget \u2013 this time $10million (\u00a37.4m)<\/a>.<\/p>\n Both movies do share a loose theme of immigrating to America in pursuit of a better life but that\u2019s about it, given that The Testament of Ann Lee is an historical musical epic that can\u2019t be compared to any other musical or biopic. It\u2019s entirely its own beast.<\/p>\n The harsh way it will divide fans can\u2019t be better demonstrated than the fact that there were several walkouts in my screening before it then went on to clinch one of the longer standing ovations at Venice this year with 15 minutes.<\/p>\n \t\t \t\t Seyfried is Ann Lee, founder of the Shakers, a religious sect who engaged in dramatic, full-body physical worship of God \u2013 moaning, stomping, writhing and beating their chests, believing it helped exorcise sin \u2013 as well as living celibate lives.<\/p>\n The music and choreography for The Testament of Ann Lee are therefore crucial to its impact and some of the most memorable aspects of the film.<\/p>\n Daniel Blumberg \u2013 who won the Oscar for The Brutalist \u2013 has composed haunting and gorgeous melodies that are enough to put you into some sort of euphoric trance, and are still playing in my head days later. It\u2019s stunning work based on real Shaker hymns and lyrics.\u00a0<\/p>\n The music is also near-continuous, propelling the film and giving it so much of its power \u2013 and when combined with Celia Rowlson-Hall\u2019s intense choreography, the effect is genuinely mesmerising. The actors\u2019 movements chime perfectly with the music we\u2019re hearing, working seamlessly together.<\/p>\n \t\t It is quite a lot to process in its avant-garde nature, along with an overall film that can be perplexing in places \u2013 so you do have to be open-minded and patient to allow The Testament of Ann Lee grow on you.<\/p>\n Ann (Amanda Seyfried) is a pious but independent woman from a poor working class family in eighteenth-century Manchester, who remained illiterate her whole life.\u00a0<\/p>\n But through joining Jane and James Wardley\u2019s (Stacy Martin and Scott Handy) Quaker worship group alongside her brother William (Lewis Pullman<\/a>), she finds peace, inspiration and eventually a leadership role as \u2018Mother Ann\u2019, with her followers believing she is the second coming of Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n Seyfried deftly handles this complex role that demands a lot of her, least of all a Manchester accent (largely successful) and plenty of singing, allowing her to show off her gorgeous, soaring vocals<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t\t \t\t\t\tThe Testament of Ann Lee: Key details\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tDirector<\/p>\n Mon Fastvold<\/p>\n Writer<\/p>\n Mona Fastvold & Brady Corbet<\/p>\n Cast<\/p>\n Amanda Seyfried, Lewis Pullman, Thomasin McKenzie, Christopher Abbott, Stacy Martin, Scott Handy, Tim Blake Nelson, David Cale, Matthew Beard<\/p>\n Age rating<\/p>\n TBC<\/p>\n Run time<\/p>\n 2hr 10m<\/p>\n Release date<\/p>\n A UK release date is yet to be announced.<\/p>\n Ann also lives an extremely tough life with more than her fair share of hardship: after reluctantly marrying her husband Abraham (Christopher Abbott), she gives birth to and loses four children in their infancy \u2013 shown in bloody, graphic detail \u2013 with that trauma playing into her adoption of celibacy.<\/p>\n Her visions from God are presented by Fastvold as glorious paintings that can lean into hallucinations, if not madness \u2013 Ann is imprisoned and starving at the time \u2013 but without any judgement. And Seyfried never overplays it, showing us a passionate woman with the utter courage of her convictions.<\/p>\n The intensity of The Testament of Ann Lee makes it a bit mad as a movie sometimes, but that seems perfectly fitting for a film about what is essentially a cult, if a benign one, focused on community and fellowship. At its peak in 1840s America, the Shakers numbered around 6,000 compared to today\u2019s single digits.<\/p>\n \t\t That Lee was often seen as too radical for comfort during her lifetime, it seems fitting that this musical biopic and its approach to telling her story is so unusual, making it a particularly arresting and intimate period drama.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not going to be for everyone, but if you surrender to it then The Testament of Ann Lee is quite a profound experience. There\u2019s been nothing really like it before.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tVerdict\t\t\t<\/p>\n The Testament of Ann Lee is a visceral, moving film with musical numbers that will refuse to leave your brain \u2013 if you can allow the film its theatricality and weirdness.<\/p>\n The Testament of Ann Lee premiered at Venice Film Festival on September 1. It is yet to confirm a UK release date.<\/p>\n Got a story?<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk<\/a> entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff<\/a> page \u2013 we\u2019d love to hear from you.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-2233149868.jpg\")
\n\t\tAmanda Seyfried stars in the titular role for writer\/director Mona Fastvold, who also co-wrote and produced last year\u2019s Venice triumph The Brutalist (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n![\"Stacy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/SEI_264606826-b81a.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe film, made for only $10million, follows the story of the founder of the Shakers religious sect (Picture: Charades)<\/p>\n![\"Still](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/SEI_264606888-b30c.jpg\")
\n\t\tIts haunting music and intense choreography in the worship scenes power the whole film (Picture: Charades)<\/p>\n![\"Still](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/SEI_264606891-5cf3.jpg\")
\n\t\tSeyfried gives a career best performance (Picture: Charades)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-2233191976.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe Testament of Ann Lee inspired a 15-minute standing ovation at Venice \u2013 and also walkouts (Picture: Getty)<\/p>\n
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