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Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011) ✦ Full-Length Watchalong Reaction (Patreon)

Published:
2025-05-13 15:30:03
Edited:
2025-05-21 02:42:37
Imported:
2026-08
Tags:

Content

Hi everyone! Here's a Reactr request, courtesy of Nate Jasper. Thank you for the request!

This was not the most pleasant of movies for me, but very well made! I'm looking forward to your thoughts! Thanks so much for watching. 😊 [Direct link here.]

✦ KL

Files

Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011) ✦ Full-Length Watchalong Reaction

Comments

Nathan Jasper

This film really hits different after the NXIVM exposure. What I love and appreciate about this film is that we only see fragments of what Martha actually went through. We want to know what happened, we want to help, but we become frustrated with the lack of information so we go from "are you okay" to "what the fuck is wrong with you" and we as the audience become Lucy. It's an incredible testament to how people with severe trauma are treated and how people look at them. For this being her first role, Elizabeth is outstanding. She performs like she's been performing for years already. As for that last Letterboxd review that said 2 years is unrealistic to lose that much of yourself, let me say from experience it's completely realistic. While I've never been in a cult (thank God) I do know what gaslighting, manipulative people are like. It took my ex 9 months to nearly destroy me and she was one person. An entire cult brainwashing you for 2 years? Yeah, Martha's beyond broken. As for the ending, I think it's probably the dude whose window she smashed in and he's just wanting to know "what the hell?" and get compensated for it. But her mind is so gone that she thinks it's someone having tracked her down, which we already know we can't trust her mind from thinking Mike at the party was one of them. The way Patrick was latching onto the new girl Sarah/Sally, and they left her alone at the diner, I really doubt they're hunting her down. But the fear is still there.

Movies with KL

Thanks for watching Nate! "It took my ex 9 months to nearly destroy me and she was one person." - did that make you completely forget what generally expected adult behaviour is, though? Like I would completely understand Martha's behaviour if she had entered the cult at a younger age and they raised her into adulthood. But she entered it at the age of 20 and got out at 22 and I have to make assumptions about the kind of person she was in her early adulthood, which I don't really want to do for a story like this. Maybe she already someone who didn't like or agree with many of the societal rules and expectations we have, and the cult reinforced it for her as acceptable behaviour. But we just don't know, and that's why I can't consider this a complete story and fully enjoy it. I want more understanding. Good point about the ending, you're probably right. But again, I really don't like that it was left vague and up to us to decide what's happening. It works for some stories, but with how heavy the subject matter is here, I just wanted a better ending. 😔

Nathan Jasper

I completely understand your points and I always appreciate your thoughts! I must, I keep coming back 😆 🤣 Thanks for checking it out and giving it a go!

Movies with KL

To be clear, I def understand your points too and I read a lot of 4 and 5 star reviews on this movie to get some more understanding, to see if there was anything big I was missing. Trauma is complex and it was only 100-some minutes of story. I guarantee something like The Handmaid's Tale will be more fulfilling for me because it's a series. Always appreciate getting to watch a movie that I never heard of! So thank you!

Nathan Jasper

Yes, Handmaid's Tale has 6 seasons of flushing so it definitely had more time to breathe. You're very welcome! I think the next one will probably be an Audrey Hepburn. Been a while since we've seen her!

HugoBoss435

I remember first seeing Elizabeth Olsen in 2011’s Silent Hill movie and she blew me away right out the bat! I’ve seen most of her filmography…this one I didn’t really care for either story wise. Her acting is always on point but the movie was meh.

Nathan Jasper

Silent House is hella underrated and misunderstood. Love it too. And no one talks about Red Lights either

HugoBoss435

Yup. Red Lights a personal favorite as well. That cast is stacked!

Steve Mercier

There's a write-up I once came across (on fucking reddit, of all places...*cough*) that--I think--sums up the movie, and the seemingly ambiguous ending, as well: "The symbolism of having Martha dive in the lake before she leaves, and still seeing someone who she suspects to be a cult member. The water symbolism, cleansing, rebirth - no matter how much she cleanses herself, she'll always be paranoid that the cult are still following her. This is reinforced by the next scene in the car. She is literally on the road to recovery, yet is still followed by her past. Her mind is so warped by the cult that she's always going to be afraid of them. Within this scene, she's too paralyzed by what happened to her and by fear that she can't speak. Her past will forever be locked inside her head, and she won't ever be able to tell anyone." Sorry you didn't dig it; but hey, that's just how it goes sometimes.

Movies with KL

Thanks for sharing that! That definitely makes sense and gives me more understanding to that last scene.

Nathan Jasper

I love that! Damn Reddit. We wanna hate it but it's so useful lol