In a striking new historical drama, Amanda Seyfried transforms herself into Ann Lee, founder of the American Shaker movement, delivering what critics are calling one of her most intense performances to date.
Director Mona Fastvold’s The Testament Of Ann Lee explores the fascinating contradictions of a woman who built an entire religious community on radical ideas.
The film doesn’t shy away from Ann’s cult-like influence, yet it presents her story with surprising empathy and nuance.
What emerges is a portrait of conviction, trauma, and the desperate human need for order in chaos.
A Radical Vision Born From Trauma
Ann Lee’s central teaching—that all Shakers must take a vow of celibacy to purify their sins—sounds extreme to modern ears. But Fastvold and Seyfried dig deeper into what might have motivated such a radical stance.
Seyfried’s performance suggests Ann’s celibacy doctrine stemmed from trauma, representing a desire to reclaim agency for women in an era when their bodies belonged to fathers, husbands, and society at large. By removing sex from the equation entirely, Ann created space where women could exist beyond their reproductive function.
The actress uses her trademark bright eyes and soprano voice—previously deployed for ingénue roles—to convey bone-deep intensity and unwavering commitment. When an innkeeper offers a simple greeting, Ann responds with prophetic fervor.
I am commissioned by the Almighty God to preach the everlasting gospel to America. And an angel commanded me, here, to this house.
Journey to the New World
Ann’s persuasive power proves strong enough to inspire her younger brother William, played by Lewis Pullman, along with a small group of believers to abandon their lives in England. They set sail for America, where Ann believes minds will prove more receptive to her revolutionary ideas.
This journey becomes one of the film’s most memorable sequences—a ship-set prayer dance that spans multiple weather conditions, choreographed by Celia Rowlson-Hall with music by composer Daniel Blumberg.
Contradictions at the Heart of Faith
What makes Ann Lee such a compelling historical figure are the contradictions she embodied. Her philosophy mixed the radical with the wholesome in ways that confounded her contemporaries.
Ann’s core beliefs included:
- Mandatory celibacy for all followers, but only if freely chosen without pressure
- Abolition of slavery and commitment to equality
- Children born without sin, challenging prevailing religious doctrine
- Pacifism over warfare, even during revolutionary times
- Hard work and community as paths to spiritual fulfillment
Our altar is love.
The Shakers literally howl this declaration at the moon while building beautiful churches in secluded meadows. Naturally, such behavior attracts accusations of witchcraft from suspicious neighbors.
A Religion of Dualities
Fastvold embraces rather than resolves the inherent contradictions within Shaker theology. God exists as double-gendered in their belief system. Love flourishes while sex remains forbidden. The very structure ensures no new members will ever be born into the faith—it can only grow through conversion.
The film itself mirrors these dualities through its structure. Narration from loyal follower Sister Mary, portrayed by Thomasin McKenzie, presents straightforward biographical facts. Meanwhile, the visual storytelling veers into experimental territory with harrowing montages of sex, birth, and death.
Formal Experimentation Meets Historical Rigor
The script, co-written by Fastvold and her partner Brady Corbet (director of The Brutalist), commits to impressive historical accuracy in language and relationship dynamics. Yet the filmmaking approach feels distinctly modern in its formal boldness.
The first half crackles with frenzied, lustful energy—ironic for a film about celibacy—creating one of the year’s most thrilling cinematic experiences. The slower, more mannered second half intentionally shifts gears, reflecting Ann’s journey from chaos to order.
Order From Chaos
At its core, Fastvold sees Ann Lee as a woman born into a dirty, chaotic world who desperately yearned for peace and structure. She fought relentlessly to claim both for herself and her followers.
Ann’s true gospel transcended her religious principles. Her defining philosophy: “a place for everything and everything in its place.” This desire for order gave the Shaker religion structure that allowed it to thrive beyond her death, even if it couldn’t quite survive into the modern era.
A Portrait of Conviction
The Testament Of Ann Lee takes a refreshingly non-judgmental approach to understanding Ann as she might have understood herself. Rather than presenting her as simply a cult leader or a saint, Seyfried’s aching performance reveals a complex woman responding to trauma, oppression, and spiritual calling all at once.
The film doesn’t demand viewers embrace Ann’s ideology. Instead, it respects her conviction and invites audiences to grapple with the same contradictions her followers faced. Can someone be both controlling and liberating? Can a restrictive doctrine actually create freedom?
These questions linger long after the credits roll, a testament to Fastvold’s thoughtful direction and Seyfried’s transformative performance. Whether Ann Lee was prophet, cult leader, feminist pioneer, or all three at once becomes less important than understanding the fierce determination that drove her vision—and the vulnerable humanity beneath her unwavering certainty.