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Trailer

Martha Marcy May Marlene

2011Movie1 h 41 minR

DramaThriller
75
GreatGoodWatch score
IMDb6.8Metacritic757.1Rotten Tomatoes90%71%

A relentlessly bleak, tense drama movie about everyday modern life and the mind, with standout performances and characters.

Good for friends night · thought-provoking · adults

Skip it if you need an uplifting mood · you want fast pacing

Where to watch

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Not for warmth, laughs or comfort.

Movies with

Story

You can get away, but you can never escape.

After several years of living with a cult, Martha finally escapes and calls her estranged sister, Lucy, for help. Martha finds herself at the quiet Connecticut home Lucy shares with her new husband, Ted, but the memories of what she experienced in the cult make peace hard to find. As flashbacks continue to torment her, Martha fails to shake a terrible sense of dread, especially in regard to the cult's manipulative leader.

Feels like

  • Cult Survivor
  • Psychological Thriller
  • Trauma and Memory
  • Estranged Family
  • Rural Setting
  • Slow Burn
  • Paranoia
  • Indie Film

Cast

15 of 15

Crew

Directed by
Sean Durkin
Written by
Sean Durkin
Produced by
Antonio Campos, Josh Mond, Patrick Cunningham
Music by
Saunder Jurriaans, Danny Bensi

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

October 21, 2011 · 1 h 41 min · R

Released
October 21, 2011
Runtime
1 h 41 min
Age rating
R
Content
Disturbing Imagery, Suicide Themes
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Original language
English
Made in
United States
Budget
$1 million
Box office
$4 million
Available in
56 countries

Tropes

Horror Hippies, Promotion to Parent, Sex as Rite-of-Passage +9

  • Horror Hippies
  • Promotion to Parent
  • Sex as Rite-of-Passage
  • Love Martyr
  • Sanity Slippage
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech
  • Not Using the "Z" Word
  • Cell Phones Are Useless
  • Through the Eyes of Madness
  • Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling
  • Raised by Wolves
  • Commune

12 of 66 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

6 questions, like "Where can I stream Martha Marcy May Marlene?"

Questions about Martha Marcy May Marlene

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream Martha Marcy May Marlene?

In the United States, you can rent or buy Martha Marcy May Marlene from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. It streams in 5 other countries, but not in the United States.

Is Martha Marcy May Marlene worth watching?

75
GreatGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 75 (IMDb 6.8, Rotten Tomatoes 90%, and Metacritic 75). Critics rate it higher (83 out of 100) than audiences (70).

Will I feel good after watching Martha Marcy May Marlene?

BleakHopeful

Probably not: the title analysis rates it 9 of 10 for bleakness and 8 for melancholy, against 1 for hopefulness.

Is Martha Marcy May Marlene plot-driven or character-driven?

CharactersPlot

Mostly character-driven: it leans on character depth (9 of 10) and dialogue centrality (8 of 10) more than on its plot.

Was Martha Marcy May Marlene a box office hit?

Budget$1 million
Box office$4 million

Yes: it cost about $1 million to make and earned $4 million worldwide, 3.5 times its budget.

What tropes does Martha Marcy May Marlene use?

Horror HippiesPromotion to ParentSex as Rite-of-PassageLove MartyrSanity Slippage"The Reason You Suck" SpeechNot Using the "Z" WordCell Phones Are UselessThrough the Eyes of MadnessFoolish Sibling, Responsible SiblingRaised by WolvesCommuneand 54 more

TV Tropes lists 66 tropes for it, including Horror Hippies, Promotion to Parent, and Sex as Rite-of-Passage.