Overview
- Searchlight Pictures released the musical historical drama in select theaters on December 25, with the film currently playing in limited run.
- Amanda Seyfried leads as Ann Lee, joined by Lewis Pullman, Thomasin McKenzie, and Christopher Abbott in principal supporting roles.
- Director Mona Fastvold and composer Daniel Blumberg incorporated real Shaker hymns, including wordless hymns researched at Hancock Shaker Village and Massachusetts archives, then reshaped them with new harmonies and key shifts.
- The production blends live and studio vocals into a naturalistic soundscape, and Seyfried retrained her singing to match a more inward, ecstatic Shaker style.
- Critics praise the score, choreography, and Seyfried’s performance, with some questioning the film’s framing of Ann Lee, as award-season buzz continues.