Martha Marcy May Marlene

Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011) starring Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson, Hugh Dancy. After escaping from a creepy cult in upstate New York, Martha (Olsen) goes to stay with her sister, Lucy (Paulson). But she is haunted by flashbacks of her time living with the cult members. Eventually, her sister and brother-in-law (Dancy) decide that she is too much to handle. This is a heavy-duty movie with some disturbing action -- both sexual and violent. We feel for Martha without seeing any hope for her, at least in the short term. It's a powerful statement about cults and brainwashing. (Subtitles in English are available, as are closed captions.) Grade: B+