Top 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2011: Sean Durkin’s Martha Marcy May Marlene

#47. Martha Marcy May Marlene

Director/Writer: Sean Durkin
Producers: Josh Mond, Antonio Campos, Chris Maybach and Patrick Cunningham
Distributor: Rights Available.

The Gist: This tells the story of a young woman rapidly unraveling amidst her attempt to reclaim a normal life. Escaping a harrowing experience as a cult member in rural New York, Martha (Elizabeth Olsen) seeks help from her estranged older sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson), though she is unable and unwilling to reveal the truth about her disappearance. With a mounting sense of dread, Lucy comes to realize that her sister’s bizarre behavior may point to something much graver than an idiosyncratic personality. Lost in a post-traumatic torment, Martha’s memories trigger the chilling paranoia that her former cult is actively pursuing her. As her reality blurs with delusion, we realize that Martha (cult aliases Marcy May and Marlene) is lost in the eye of an emotional storm much larger than anyone could have suspected.….(more)

Cast: Hugh Dancy, John Hawkes, Sarah Paulson, Brady Corbet and Elizabeth Olsen

List Worthy Reasons…: It was almost one year to the day when Sean Durkin’s Mary Last Seen was the short film that floored me among those that I saw in Park City (it would go onto win in the Director’s Fortnight section in Cannes) and hence why I’m looking forward in seeing how the filmmaker might have expanded on the idea. For a first film Durkin works from several Sundance vets and this also includes Mary Last Seen’s creepy protag in Brady Corbet (curious to see if he works from a similar role) and an actress which everyone in indie film sphere is calling the next big thing. 

Release Date/Status?: U.S Dramatic Competition showing in Sundance should be followed by numerous other festival showings and a pick-up from on of the indie distributors.