Amanda Seyfried and The Brutalist’s creators resurrect an unlikely figure for a tour-de-force musical biopic: the messianic, Manchester-born founder of the Shaker church.
In 18th century Lancashire, young Ann finds relief from growing industry and her children’s early deaths in a shouting, dancing Christian Quaker movement. Possessed by visions of how to guide humanity, she rises to lead the group and seek a home in the New World – but keeping her family together proves even more difficult there.
Co-writing with her partner Brady Corbet, director Mona Fastvold (The World to Come) creates an astonishing yet feasible world of violence, energy, and religious mystery around its obscure subject, helped by Daniel Blumberg’s similarly mercurial soundtrack. She, however, always dominates thanks to Seyfried’s lead performance, which shows unprecedented charisma, tenderness, and vulnerability alongside her proven musical talent.
