Lyrical, unique, and hypnotic, director Mona Fastvold’s “The Testament of Anne Lee” is an immersive cinematic experience for those who still appreciate what film can do. Telling the story of the woman who founded the Shaker religious sect in the 18th century, Fastvold uses her craft to its fullest power to create one of the most memorable films in some time.

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Telling the story of an 18th-century religious clan with such an inventive design is quite daring, and the director’s vision will certainly be polarizing to audiences. Fear not, as it is rare to witness a filmmaker so in tune with their vision. The film’s many artistic successes are an attestation to the director’s skill and dedication, as Fastvold immersed herself in years of research to ensure “The Testament of Ann Lee” (co-written with husband Brady Corbet) would breathe authenticity. Most of the events are taken from recorded history, although dramatic license is taken now and again.

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Malgorzata Karpiuk’s costumes, Sam Bader’s Production Design, and Lauren Doss’ sets are exquisite; each one evoking the period setting without looking “produced”. A low-budget production, their award-worthy work stands as tribute to their director’s supreme dedication.

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In a performance that deserves an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, Amanda Seyfried stars as Ann Lee. After losing four children at too young an age, Lee feared it was God’s punishment for having intercourse. As she sank deeper into her version of a pure religion, Ann Lee was convinced that holiness was only achieved by abandoning what she refers to as “fleshly cohabitation,” a thought shaped by the time she confessed to seeing her parents having sex and was beaten by her father for the experience.

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Lee claimed to have visions that led her to believe she was chosen as God’s Earthly voice; thus becoming one of the founders of the Shaker movement, an offshoot of the Quakers. Their name was derived from members’ full bodied physical praise to God. Through hymns and forceful body movements that seem lifted from a Māori ceremony, the Shakers (literally) threw all they had into their worship. These tactics were seen as bizarre by some and were deemed heresy by the Church of England. Lee faced hardcore persecution and spent time in jail, as the Shakers were mostly seen as fanatics. Some people labeled them witches. ‘Twas the era.

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Presented in three movements (the picture is almost an emotionally religious opera), we follow Ann Lee from little girl to womanhood and onward to becoming a mother. With the death of her children, Lee was still “mother” to her followers, who addressed her accordingly. Each movement portrays the impactful moments of Ann Lee’s life. Her pushback against the Church of England and unflinching devotion to her brother William (another fine turn from Lewis Pullman) are the most important pieces of Lee’s life and will shape who she becomes.

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Like the Shaker movement, “The Testament of Ann Lee” is radical and experimental. The film could be labeled a musical, as there are many scenes where the cast sings through the action of the scene. Celia Rowlson-Hall’s choreography is exuberantly bold, as fists pound chests while congregations move in unison through nature and places of worship. Daniel Blumberg (Oscar winner for “The Brutalist”) composed the haunting score, while the songs were taken from actual Shaker hymns. Nothing feels stagey and there are no musical “numbers.” Each moment is a collective praise by the characters, including a delightfully Python-esque sequence as a man fumbles his way to a preordained piece of land.

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Amanda Seyfried is incredible. The actress devours Lee’s resolute demeanor and profound devotion to her religious convictions. Seyfried uses every inch of her body and every sound she can muster from her soul to inhabit Ann Lee, commanding the screen with a force rarely allowed today’s thespians. Amanda Seyfried rises to the level of the best actors of her generation. This is not a performance, but a becoming.

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Seyfried’s great work is surrounded by a great supporting cast. Thomasin Mackenzie is the film’s narrator and Ann’s confidant. A bit underused, Mackenzie does well and her haunting voiceover plays to the film’s bizarre tone. Fastvold regular Christopher Abbott is striking as Abraham, the man Lee married, but one with such twisted sexual appetites that he tests Ann’s devotion to the biblical rules of marriage.

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Matthew Beard and Viola Prettejohn are quite good as two heartbreaking characters who dare let true love and desire come before their faith.

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David Cale, Stacy Martin, Scott Handy, and Tim Blake Nelson round out the cast. Each performer finds many scenes to make their respective marks.

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As the film moves toward its final act, the Shakers find it increasingly challenging to find new members. New England (where Ann Lee proclaimed God sent them) has grown cold to their strange ways. The picture closes with a breakdown of the dwindling number of Shaker followers. Decade by decade, the religion loses thousands. As of 2025, there are only three on record.

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These final declarations illuminate the mythos of Lee and her place in religious history. Was she a prophet? Of course not, but many saw her as such. Certain writings paint her as a pawn in the battles of the different religious sects of the time. Others see her as a woman of faith who only wanted to live a clean life, serve God, and ascend to Heaven to be reunited with her children.

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Ann Lee’s legacy is colored with a great deal of truth, some fallacy, and an aura of ritualistic faith. The same is true of the film.

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Mona Fastvold has created a deeply felt meditation on religious freedom, based on historical record and legend. Whether one is religious or exists within the secular world, “The Testament of Ann Lee” is an intoxicating motion picture and a deeply cinematic “happening” that will linger in your memory.

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