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The Latest Breaking News from Mona Fastvold

The Testament of Ann Lee review – Amanda Seyfried is (maybe) the second coming of Christ in this extraordinary biopic

5/5 This thrillingly iconoclastic musical – from the makers of ‘The Brutalist’ – tells the story of the leading prophet of the 18th-century Shaker movement, who preached celibacy, rejected conformity and demanded equality

The Independent UK

The Testament of Ann Lee – a gorgeous celebration of transcendence through joy and religious experience

Mona Fastvold’s film about Ann Lee – the founder of the Shaker religious movement – is raw, intense and deeply physical. If you were to consult the leading critics of Christianity in film they would probably tell you that the best films in this genre are not like The Testament…

The Conversation

‘I don’t want to do the same thing over and over’: Stacy Martin on risky roles, tequila at the Oscars and her Jurassic Park dream

After experiencing the strangeness of the Academy Awards with her last film The Brutalist, the indie actor has reunited with its creators for period curio The Testament of Ann Lee. But what she’d really like to get her teeth into is a certain dino franchise

The Guardian - UK

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Amanda Seyfried Knows People Walked Out Of Her New Movie During Graphic Childbirth Scene, But Has No Regrets

"Childbirth is traumatic..."

Cinemablend

‘I can understand being brought to your knees’: Amanda Seyfried on obsession, devotion and the joy of socks

The Testament of Ann Lee is a bonkers musical fantasia about an obscure religious sect. Its star and writer-director Mona Fastvold talk fear, bonding – and not needing an Oscar

The Guardian - UK

I’m Ann Lee, and this is my testament about the mind-scramble of sharing your name with a movie character

From amused texts to awkward introductions, the run-up to the release of awards-tipped Shaker biopic The Testament of Ann Lee has been a strange experience

The Guardian - UK

Amanda Seyfried spent a year preparing for The Testament of Ann Lee

Amanda Seyfried started her preparations for The Testament of Ann Lee a year in advance as she only had 34 days to shoot the movie.

BANG Premier

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2026 may be the year of Marvel blockbusters and a Christopher Nolan epic, but I'm looking forward to these 6 movies that might not be on your watchlist yet

Big Screen Spotlight | From a Robert Pattinson rom-com to a black comedy from Park Chan-wook, these are the movies that should be on your radar in 2026

Total Film

Don’t Sleep on These Films *Not* Directed by Men in 2025

Let's take a look back at the films woman and nonbinary directors released in 2025, from Academy Award winners to debut filmmakers.

The Mary Sue

In 'The Testament of Ann Lee,' Dance Is Divine

Choreographer Celia Rowlson-Hall discusses recreating a lost form of worship in the Amanda Seyfried-starring musical.

Marie Claire

‘I Don’t Know’: Amanda Seyfried Was So Hesitant About The Testament Of Ann Lee She Actually Pitched The Director On Other Actresses

Not your typical actor story!

Cinemablend

‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ Review: A Captivating Look at Faith and Resilience

Music is healing to all

The Mary Sue

The celibate, dancing Shakers were once seen as a threat to society – 250 years later, they’re part of the sound of America

Director Mona Fastvold’s new film, “The Testament of Ann Lee,” features actor Amanda Seyfried in the titular role: the English spiritual seeker who brought the Shaker movement to America. The trailer literally writhes with snakes intercut amid scenes of emotional turmoil, religious ecstasy, orderly and disorderly dancing – and sex.…

The Conversation

Motherhood Is Filled With Agony. So Are the Best Films of the Year

Filmmakers on the simmering maternal trauma that dominates this year's awards frontrunners.

Marie Claire

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Evening Standard

The Testament of Ann Lee LFF review: Amanda Seyfried sizzles as the evangelical heroine

5/5 The Brutalist co-writer Mona Fastvold directs a wild song-and-dance tribute to the founder of the Shaker movement

BANG Premier

Amanda Seyfried urged Mona Fastvold to consider English actress for The Testament of Ann Lee

Amanda Seyfried urged Mona Fastvold to cast "somebody English" in The Testament of Ann Lee because she didn't want to let her down.

The Guardian - UK

The Testament of Ann Lee review – strikingly strange portrait of radically ecstatic Shaker leader

Amanda Seyfried plays the 18th-century missionary who took her radical message to the New World, in Mona Fastvold’s elusive film

BANG Premier

Amanda Seyfried's singing in The Testament of Ann Lee was 'stressful' and 'hard'

Hollywood actress Amanda Seyfried has admitted singing for her role in new movie The Testament of Ann Lee was "stressful" and "hard" because she had to tap into her character's "grief and desperation".

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The Independent UK

12 películas del Festival de Cine de Venecia que generarán expectativa

El Festival de Cine de Venecia ofrece este año una abundancia de riquezas de autor. La 82ª edición cuenta con películas de Guillermo del Toro, Kathryn Bigelow, Park Chan-wook, Yorgos Lanthimos, Sofia Coppola, Jim Jarmusch, Gus Van Sant y Luca Guadagnino, por nombrar algunos. Incluso Charlie Kaufman tiene un cortometraje…

The Independent UK

12 movies premiering at the Venice Film Festival to get excited about

The Venice Film Festival is showcasing an impressive lineup this year

The Guardian - UK

British composer Daniel Blumberg wins best original score Oscar for The Brutalist

Sole previous scoring credit on a full-length film for the singer, guitar player and visual artist is The World to Come

The Times of India

Director Brady Corbet on 'The Brutalist': We didn't think about coded messages because that's equivalent to propaganda - EXCLUSIVE

Brady Corbet’s critically acclaimed film The Brutalist will be released in Indian cinemas next Friday, just days before the Oscars. The 2024 epic period drama has been a front-runner throughout the awards season, sweeping top honours for both Corbet and leading man Adrien Brody. Ahead of the film’s release, Corbet…

BANG Premier

Brady Corbet made 'zero' money from The Brutalist

Despite the success of 'The Brutalist', director Brady Corbet has made no money from the film.

The Independent UK

'The Brutalist' doesn't work without Guy Pearce

Over the years, Guy Pearce has been good in most all things

Woman & Home

Is The Brutalist based on a true story and how to watch it in the UK

After The Brutalist won three Golden Globe awards, it's piqued the interest of potential viewers who want to know if it's a true story and where they can watch it.

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