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The Testament of Ann Lee

Play trailer 1:22 Poster for The Testament of Ann Lee R In Theaters Dec 25 2h 17m Biography History Drama Musical Play Trailer Watchlist
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90% Tomatometer 88 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
From award-winning writer-director Mona Fastvold (The World to Come, The Brutalist) comes the extraordinary true legend of Ann Lee, founder of the devotional sect known as the Shakers. Academy Award nominee Amanda Seyfried stars as the Shaker's irrepressible leader, who preached gender and social equality and was revered by her followers. The Testament of Ann Lee captures the ecstasy and agony of her quest to build a utopia, featuring more than a dozen traditional Shaker hymns reimagined as rapturous movements with choreography by Celia Rowlson-Hall (Vox Lux) and original songs & score by Academy Award winner Daniel Blumberg (The Brutalist).
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The Testament of Ann Lee

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Illuminated by Amanda Seyfried's sterling performance, The Testament of Ann Lee accepts The Shakers' founder on her own terms and reaches its own rhapsodic highs as a result.

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Cast & Crew

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Mona Fastvold

Director

Amanda Seyfried

Actor

Thomasin McKenzie

Actor

Lewis Pullman

Actor

Stacy Martin

Actor

Matthew Beard

Actor

Critics Reviews

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Peyton Robinson RogerEbert.com 2h
3/4
The film is a large-scale production, mighty in detail, and Fastvold proves herself up to the challenge of her own aspirations, tackling the weighty biography with the same sort of labor-intensive dedication characteristic of its subject. Go to Full Review Alissa Wilkinson New York Times 5h
Watching it with your whole being, it becomes real to you too. Go to Full Review Peter Travers The Travers Take 5d
3/4
The tension flattens in the film’s drowsy second half, but the blazing wonder of Amanda Seyfried as Shakers leader Ann Lee makes believers of all Go to Full Review Brian Orndorf Blu-ray.com 9m
C
Fastvold is more committed to theatricality and showy performances, caught up in the artistry of it all, which isn’t as interesting as a more in-depth inspection of religious deliverance found in the messiness of grief-induced insanity. Go to Full Review Carla Hay Culture Mix 2h
This musical biopic of controversial religious leader Ann Lee is visually striking but often monotonous and saved by a noteworthy performance by Amanda Seyfried. Go to Full Review Siddhant Adlakha IGN Movies 7h
8/10
Despite its narrative shortcomings, and some questionable decisions about who sings, The Testament of Ann Lee makes for an inviting historical musical about the power of faith. Go to Full Review Read all reviews
The Testament of Ann Lee

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The Testament of Ann Lee

The Testament of Ann Lee: Featurette - Music and Movement The Testament of Ann Lee: Featurette - Music and Movement 3:11 The Testament of Ann Lee: Teaser Trailer The Testament of Ann Lee: Teaser Trailer 1:22 View more videos
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The Testament of Ann Lee

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Movie Info

Synopsis From award-winning writer-director Mona Fastvold (The World to Come, The Brutalist) comes the extraordinary true legend of Ann Lee, founder of the devotional sect known as the Shakers. Academy Award nominee Amanda Seyfried stars as the Shaker's irrepressible leader, who preached gender and social equality and was revered by her followers. The Testament of Ann Lee captures the ecstasy and agony of her quest to build a utopia, featuring more than a dozen traditional Shaker hymns reimagined as rapturous movements with choreography by Celia Rowlson-Hall (Vox Lux) and original songs & score by Academy Award winner Daniel Blumberg (The Brutalist).
Director
Mona Fastvold
Producer
Andrew Morrison, Joshua Horsfield, Viktória Petrányi, Mona Fastvold, Brady Corbet, Gregory Jankilevitsch, Klaudia Śmieja, Lillian LaSalle, Mark Lampert
Screenwriter
Mona Fastvold, Brady Corbet
Distributor
Searchlight Pictures
Production Co
Kaplan Morrison, ArtClass Flms, Proton Cinema, Intake Films, Curious Gremlin, Göta Film AB, Göteborg, Annapurna Pictures, Mizzel Media, Film i Väst, FirstGen Content, Mid March Media, 4 Little Monsters, Carte Blanche
Rating
R (Violence|Bloody Images|Sexual Content|Graphic Nudity)
Genre
Biography, History, Drama, Musical
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 25, 2025, Limited
Runtime
2h 17m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)