--- title: "Martha Marcy May Marlene: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/martha-marcy-may-marlene/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/martha-marcy-may-marlene" critics_score: 79 critics_reviews: 24 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011): what the critics said Critics' score 79 from 24 reviews: 22 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics find Martha Marcy May Marlene an unsettling, carefully controlled study of the damage left by cult life. Praise centres on Elizabeth Olsen’s portrayal of Martha: the reviews repeatedly credit her with making the character’s anxiety, vulnerability and fractured sense of self convincing. John Hawkes also draws praise, while Sean Durkin’s restrained direction, precise framing and shifts between past and present are widely admired for building dread without relying on overt shocks. The disagreement concerns how much those unanswered questions and interwoven timelines achieve. Several favourable reviews acknowledge narrative distance or rough edges, but regard the uncertainty as essential to Martha’s experience. The spread is wide despite the strongly positive majority. Digital Spy finds the film compelling but detached and short on effective thriller elements; Slant Magazine is the clear dissenter, arguing that the structure feels gimmicky and offers too little character insight or emotional reward, despite the performances and skilful framing. ## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 21 October 2011. The film is a wonderfully difficult existential thriller about identity and the tenuous grasp on self after cult life. Olsen delivers a frightfully fearless performance that exposes all of Martha’s scars in both worlds. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-oct-21-la-et-martha-marcy-may-marlene-20111021-story.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 21 January 2011. Festival review. The critic praises Elizabeth Olsen's star-making performance and the assured debut of writer-director Sean Durkin in this disturbing drama about a young woman escaping a cult. It highlights the film's smart, suspenseful reflection on cults and its ability to sustain a mood of quiet dread through to an ambiguous ending. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/martha-marcy-may-marlene-film-74501/) ## The Times — Wendy Ide Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 3 February 2012. This meticulously crafted psychological journey through paranoia and dread follows a young woman escaping a manipulative cult, with fluid editing between timelines. Elizabeth Olsen is a revelation as the guarded, bruised Martha in one of the most chillingly intelligent films of the year. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/martha-marcy-may-marlene-7gdd5zn2pjl) ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2012. The film stands out for its integrity and unsettling power, with an intricate exploration of Martha’s fractured identity after escaping the commune. Elizabeth Olsen gives an unequivocally great, empathetic central performance that carries the movie. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/martha-marcy-may-marlene-review-7439751.html) ## The Telegraph — Tim Robey Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 3 February 2012. This is a slippery thriller about fugitive states and not knowing who you are, as Martha recovers at her sister's lake house while flashbacks reveal cult nightmares. Durkin's assured debut uses painterly visuals and Olsen emanates anxiety beneath a smooth surface. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/9057353/Martha-Marcy-May-Marlene-review.html) ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 29 January 2012. The critic finds Durkin’s debut rewarding, thoughtful and terrifying despite its ambiguous, rough edges. Olsen and Hawkes deliver standout performances that anchor the film’s creepy psychological study of cult life and its aftermath. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/martha-marcy-may-marlene-review/) ## Little White Lies — Jason Wood Rating 4/4/4. 2 February 2012. The critic calls it a tense and superbly acted analysis of trauma and vulnerability, crediting Durkin's remarkably composed storytelling. They single out Elizabeth Olsen's depth and complexity in her feature debut for authentically capturing the character's anguish. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/martha-marcy-may-marlene) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 2 February 2012. This is a disquieting and ambiguous indie about a young woman escaping a cult, with an unsettling darkness in its woodland settings. It is acted and directed like a sensitive drama rather than a scary movie, and is all the scarier for it. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/feb/02/martha-marcy-may-marlene-review) ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun Rating 4/5. 1 February 2012. Calhoun describes it as an impressive and haunting debut that keeps viewers questioning reality alongside the protagonist. He singles out the film's suggestion that psychological restriction can exist in ordinary family life as much as in a cult. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/martha-marcy-may-marlene) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 26 October 2011. The film effectively portrays the psychic damage from cult life through strong performances, especially by Elizabeth Olsen and John Hawkes. Durkin’s non-linear structure is a minor flaw but the overall result is ambitious and effective. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/martha-marcy-may-marlene-2011) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 22 January 2011. Festival review. The review calls it an expertly crafted exercise in cinematic storytelling fueled more by ominous dread than conventional drama. It singles out the supremely assured quality of the filmmaking, particularly the exquisite composition, sound design and musical choices. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/martha-marcy-may-marlene/5022654.article) ## Film Comment — Violet Lucca Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The critic views the film as an effective portrait of trauma and fractured identity conveyed through interwoven timelines. She singles out its poetic, understated style that builds anxiety through ambiguity and mental contours rather than overt shocks. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/martha-marcy-may-marlene-review/) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 17 October 2011. Durkin delivers a troubled and insidious film about a cult rather than a cult film, with pastoral calm giving way to a pagan fable of control and identity. Olsen’s performance captures the battle to retain a coherent self against the cult leader’s thrall. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/10/24/family-farm) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 22 January 2011. Festival review. The sensitive treatment of a sensational subject heralds the arrival of talented first-time director Sean Durkin and promising new star Elizabeth Olsen. The elliptical script and non-linear editing withhold narrative drive but offer exquisite lensing and a haunting ending. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2011/film/markets-festivals/martha-marcy-may-marlene-1117944343/) ## Slant Magazine — Jaime N. Christley Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2011. The critic finds the film's dueling-narrative structure gimmicky and ultimately empty, despite strong performances from the cast including Elizabeth Olsen and John Hawkes. It notes Durkin's skillful use of the widescreen frame but criticizes the lack of deeper character insight or emotional payoff. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/martha-marcy-may-marlene/) ## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff Rating A+. 19 October 2011. The critic hails it as a stunner and strong debut that is superbly acted and assembled, terrifying and deeply disquieting in its building of paranoia and mood. Olsen's breakout performance and Durkin's subtle direction are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-martha-marcy-may-marlene-a-stunner-with-a-breakout-turn-by-elizabeth-olsen-20111019/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating A. 21 October 2011. Festival review. The critic praises the film's powder keg of tension, paranoia, and regret through restrained storytelling, haunting direction, and standout performances by Elizabeth Olsen and John Hawkes. It is noted as one of the best at Sundance for its intelligent, compelling exploration of cult trauma and failed re-assimilation. [Read the review](https://collider.com/martha-marcy-may-marlene-movie-review/) ## Paste — Annlee Ellingson Rating 8.9. 25 October 2011. Durkin crafts an assured, exquisitely controlled indie drama about escape from a cult and uneasy reentry, with Elizabeth Olsen delivering a naked, raw breakthrough performance as the vulnerable yet resilient Martha. The film excels through hallucinatory flashbacks, visual control, and a chilling John Hawkes as the cult leader, creating a riveting and excruciating experience. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/martha-marcy-may-marlene) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 22 August 2011. The critic calls it a memorable and resonant debut that creeps under the skin as a moody, atmospheric study of paranoia that is hard to beat. The film's ambiguity around the cult's power dynamics and abuse, along with Olsen's raw and magnetic performance, are highlighted. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/martha-marcy-may-marlene-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## /Film — David Chen Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 22 January 2011. Festival review. The critic describes the film as an intense and unforgettable directorial debut that is discomfiting and transfixing in its portrait of cult brainwashing. Olsen's tour de force performance and the tremendous filmmaking are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/513453/martha-marcy-may-marlene-review/) ## The Wrap — Alonso Duralde Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 20 October 2011. The critic describes the film as the chilling feel-bad movie of the year, praising its tense portrayal of a woman's escape from a cult and her subsequent trauma. They single out first-time director Sean Durkin for brilliantly interweaving the cult experiences with the protagonist's post-traumatic stress. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/chilling-martha-marcy-may-marlene-heralds-breakout-star-32033/) ## Den of Geek — Luke Savage Rating 4/5. 1 February 2012. The critic calls the film unusual, unsettling and uncompromising, praising its short, sharp structure that leaves questions unanswered. He singles out the director's suffocating close-ups, eerie long shots and the strong performances by Elizabeth Olsen and John Hawkes. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/martha-marcy-may-marlene-review/) ## HeyUGuys — Lisa Giles-Keddie Rating 4/5. 2 February 2012. The critic finds the film an unsettling and disorienting psychological thriller that effectively blurs fact and memory through Martha's perspective, leaving disturbing questions unanswered. Olsen's raw, haunting lead performance and Durkin's assured direction are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/martha-marcy-may-marlene-review/) ## Digital Spy — Simon Reynolds Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2012. The critic finds the film riveting thanks to its compelling central performance but notes it remains somewhat detached. He singles out Elizabeth Olsen's mesmerising portrayal of a psychologically scarred woman for praise while criticising the lack of impactful thriller elements. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a357241/martha-marcy-may-marlene-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/martha-marcy-may-marlene.md