What The Critics Are Saying About ‘The Testament Of Ann Lee’

The Testament of Ann Lee , the latest feature from Mona Fastvold, launched at the Venice Film Festival this evening, and the notices are rolling in.

The musical film stars Amanda Seyfried as charismatic 18th-century religious leader Ann Lee, who founded the Shaker movement, known for its ecstatic singing and dancing as well as, later, its simple furniture and architecture. The Brutalist filmmaker Brady Corbet co-wrote the film with Fastvold.

The early reaction from critics on the Lido has been mostly positive, with several reviews clocking the film at 3 stars and highlighting its narrative experiments.

Deadline’s Damon Wise described the film as “strange and oddly visceral.”

“Reuniting three of the main factors of the success of The Brutalist — Fastvold plus composer Dani