Overview
- Mona Fastvold’s feature, now in theaters, reframes Ann Lee’s 18th-century Shaker story through staged worship, song, and physically expressive movement.
- Critics highlight adapted Shaker hymns by composer Daniel Blumberg and an immersive soundscape as central to the film’s effect.
- Coverage notes the balance of documented history—celibacy, pacifism, and migration to America—with openly dramatized legend and stylized choreography.
- Reviews commend the cinematography, production design, and select 70mm presentations, while describing the film as demanding and occasionally uneven.
- Seyfried’s performance draws widespread acclaim, with support from Lewis Pullman and Christopher Abbott underscoring the film’s intensity.