Martha Marcy May Marlene

Far from living happily ever after, Martha struggles to regain her sense of self and to control her paranoia after escaping a cult led by the charismatic Patrick. Patrick is a man who unveiled hidden talents and brought meaning and a sense of purpose to her life. Martha, or Marcy May, as Patrick thinks her name should be, remains under his spell until she realizes that the price of belonging is too high. Martha’s battle to navigate in a world, much more intricate than the one she left behind, is reflected in a fragmented narrative style. »Martha Marcy May Marlene« shifts between the present and the past – dreams and memories, none of which are clearly defined. The cinematography emphasizes the down-to-earth natural beauty in stark contrast to Martha’s unstable reality. Her journey is further complicated by a strained relationship with her sister and brother-in-law, one that represents the kind of disconnected life that Martha tried to escape in the first place. Durkin’s feature debut is a harrowing exploration of belonging and isolation. Experiences that by no means is mutually exclusive.