The Testament of Ann Lee Earns Positive Venice Reviews for Amanda Seyfried’s Bold Performance
The Testament of Ann Lee, the latest feature by Mona Fastvold, premiered at the Venice Film Festival, with Amanda Seyfried portraying Ann Lee, the charismatic 18th-century religious leader who founded the Shaker movement. Co-written with Brady Corbet, the musical drama blends historical storytelling, song, and dance, earning largely positive early reviews from critics.
Deadline’s Damon Wise described the film as “strange and oddly visceral”, praising Seyfried’s performance as “a very credible messiah, and an earth mother with a great natural gift.” He noted that the movie feels like “a light yin” to Fastvold and Corbet’s The Brutalist, offering a warmer story of troubled genius and social torment.
Vogue highlighted the similarities between The Testament of Ann Lee and The Brutalist, acknowledging their extraordinary imagery and ambition, while also noting pacing issues in the final act.
Variety’s Guy Lodge described the film as “respectful and intellectually curious”, though at times slow across its 136-minute runtime. Still, he praised its transformation into a “full-blown song-and-dance affair”.
The Guardian compared the film’s aesthetic shifts to a mix between a Lars von Trier nightmare, Robert Eggers horror, and a Broadway musical melodrama. Awarding it three stars, the review lauded its philosophical ambitions and nuanced approach to Lee, portraying her not as a villain but as a complex figure deserving of empathy.
Little White Lies called the film “impressive and admirable” but found it lacking the emotional depth of Fastvold’s earlier The World to Come.
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Cineuropa emphasized the film’s meticulous craftsmanship, praising its ability to maintain narrative distance while still offering engaging storytelling about faith, gender, and equality in 18th-century England and colonial America.
Indiewire gave the film one of its strongest reviews, an A- grade, applauding Seyfried’s “unwavering conviction” and the narrative’s balance between agony and ecstasy.
With its blend of ecstatic musicality, historical drama, and feminist subtext, The Testament of Ann Lee is shaping up as one of the most discussed films of Venice 2025.
