By: Kimberly Grant
You’re either going to love this movie or you’re going to hate it. The Testament of Ann Lee is opening in theaters on January 23.
Historical Context
Amanda Seyfried stars as the titular character who goes on a religious quest to create a Utopia, free of carnal urges. Along the way she suffers persecution for her gender (women supposedly can’t be ministers), her husband Abraham (Christopher Abbott) leaves her, and she suffers the birth then loss of her four children. Focusing on her faith, Anne sets sail from Manchester, England, to the New World in pre-Revolutionary War 1774.
Written by Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold (who also directed), this biographical tale is basically a musical. I wasn’t prepared for this when I sat down to watch the film. To give you some backstory, Ann’s religious journey begins when she joins the Shaking Quakers (The Shakers) Movement. Imagine that every time you went to church you were smack-dab inside of a stage musical with random acts of singing, choreographed dancing, wailing/screaming, and (you guessed it) shaking. Story-wise, The Testament of Ann Lee is…different.
Sadly, this movie makes The Shakers look foolish where congregants dance and shake in a choreographed trance. They are supposed to be religious. Ann is considered to be a Female Christ. Although, there is no reading of the Bible. There is just Ann and her disciple brother, William (Lewis Pullman), preaching their version of the unread gospel. This is dangerous. What I see is a religious woman who is having a mental break after losing four children. That type of loss would greatly affect anyone’s mental health. But in 1774, psychological help wasn’t readily available, causing Ann to turn to her faith for healing; bringing others along for the ride.
Love It or Hate It?
The reason I don’t like this movie is because it’s weird. It’s unhinged in a way that leaves you wondering what the heck you’re watching. There are parts that generate laughter from the audience, but may not actually be funny. The plot doesn’t have much of a beginning or ending; it’s mostly middle. It’s also a bit gory in some instances so it’s not for the faint of heart.
What you can love about the film is Seyfried’s stellar, earnest performance as Ann. The role of Ann Lee could have easily been campy in a bad way. Seyfried clearly gives the role her all. She was even nominated for a Golden Globe award for it. She may not have won the trophy, but the true testament of this movie is her performance as the feminist icon who led a flock of parishioners in a time where women were still considered less than human.
This movie has toured the film festivals, as well, including Toronto International Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, and more. It’s been in limited release since Christmas 2025 and has had critics talking. Fastvold has also been nominated for an Eda Female Focus Award for Best Woman Director (Alliance of Women Film Journalists), multiple Astra Awards, and an Independent Spirit Award. So, the film is a critics’ darling. One critic gave it a 9 out of 10, calling it “Extremely well made…but also not for the average viewer.”.
Typically, the only opinion that matters in my reviews are mine. However, after peeking at the sentiments of others to see if I was off-track in my views, I found thatThe Testament of Ann Lee is one of those films that’s loved by critics, yet disappoints audience members. It’s got a Rotten Tomatoes score of 90% (from critics) and a Popcornmeter score of 63% (from audiences). According to IMDb.com, some users said: “Pretty bad movie” and “Appallingly bad”.
This critic feels like it’s 2025-2026’s Megalopolis with a more fleshed out plot and a stellar performance from its star actress. While Seyfried’s performance is must-see and the film does have some female empowerment, this is what happens when a bad movie happens to a good actress. She made the best of it, though.
While Fastvold’s heart was in the right place in making The Testament of Ann Lee, the film doesn’t totally resonate with audiences because of its the delivery. It’s unhinged and practically pokes fun at a religion and a female religious icon.
Not all movies are a hit. You can read my reviews in the Entertainment Blog to find out which ones are worth the watch.
