‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ review: A spiritual movement in motion and song

Amanda Seyfried turns in an otherworldly performance as the founder of the Shakers in The Testament of Ann Lee, Mona Fastvold’s wild, moving epic.

The Testament of Ann Lee, the latest from The Brutalist‘s Mona Fastvold and Brady Corbet, is the wildest, most feral musical you’ve ever seen. It’s a dramatic title for a film about a preacher of a religious movement largely lost to time, but “testament” is accurate. (The Shakers have only three practicing members as of 2026.) A testament to one woman’s faith, and a testament to its filmmakers’ belief in the boundlessness of cinema.

In its opening moments, the film is no ordinary biopic. As Sister Mary (Thomasin McKenzie), a minimal character onscreen but our narrator throughout, says, Ann Lee (Amanda Seyfried) was born on Leap Day. An auspicious beginning for an unusual figure forgotten to history. From a young age, Ann Lee was as repulsed by sex as she was by the buttoned-up trappings of 18th-century Anglicanism. When Ann and her devoted brother William (Lewis Pullman) join a society of Shakers, a Quaker sub-sect known for its song-and-dance worship, they unlock the connection to the divine they’ve been searching for. Through somber song and dance, Ann Lee’s followers begin the tale of a remarkable woman and her determination to save the world from sin.

The story of a legend, in an unusual biopic.

Photo Credit: Searchlight Pictures

The film zooms through Ann’s life like bullet points on a Wikipedia page. Her marriage to emotionally abusive and distant Abraham (Christopher Abbott) results in four children, all of whom die in infancy. Tragedy, paired with her fervent faith, unleashes in Ann a belief that she is the second coming of Christ. This awakens in her a mission to bring her unconventional worship to America. The American section of the film leaves Ann to be almost a mythical figure. This is, as Sister Mary’s narration tells us, is the “legend” of Ann Lee.

Whatever gaps need to be filled in her minimal historical record aren’t filled with facts or character-building, just more song and dance. But Daniel Blumberg’s music and Celia Rowlson-Hall’s choreography are so enchanting, you’ll want to dance in the aisles, too. Every carefully planned dance move feels like an act of spontaneous worship, even if twenty other dancers are moving in unison. It is a wonder to behold.

A groundbreaking performance for Amanda Seyfried.

Photo Credit: Searchlight Pictures

Seyfried’s performance, unfortunately overlooked by the Academy, is revelatory. This is neither the gentle songbird Seyfried of Les Misérables, nor the fun-loving freewheeling Seyfried of Mamma Mia!. In Ann Lee, you see her like never before—raw, determined, full of conviction. The film neither supports nor criticizes Ann’s beliefs, from total celibacy to declaring she’s the second coming of Christ. It’s not played as a joke, either, just entirely sticking to the truth of Ann’s teachings. Here are the facts, Fastvold suggests, take them or leave them.

Seyfried’s surrounding ensemble consists of reliable faces, from McKenzie to Tim Blake Nelson. Only Pullman and Abbott are given enough material to leave a strong impression. Pullman’s performance is full of conviction, with William’s unshakable devotion to Ann mirroring Ann’s devotion to God. Abbott, a mainstay of complex and often volatile characters, is haunting as Ann’s frustrated husband.

The bottom line.

Unlike the crowd-pleasing Sinners or the jukebox musical Song Sung Blue, The Testament of Ann Lee is a music-centric film that’s a hard sell. That’s by design. In less capable hands, Ann’s story may not leave as strong an impression. Where Fastvold and Corbet’s screenplay falters, their passion for Ann radiates through the film like sunlight. Fastvold’s uncompromising vision matches Ann’s own bold declarations. It’s the story of a woman unapologetically herself, told by a fearless filmmaker uninhibited by modern cinema ideals. The Testament of Ann Lee is nothing short of miraculous.

The Testament of Ann Lee is now playing in select theaters. Watch the trailer here.

Images courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. Read more articles by Claire Di Maio here.

Claire Di Maio

Claire was once asked in elementary school why her go-to question was always, “Watch anything good lately?” It’s still her go-to question, because she loves hearing what other people are passionate about. She often sacrifices sleep in the hopes that she will one day clear her to-watch and to-read lists (a futile effort so far).