Martha Marcy May Marlene starts better than it ends. Elizabeth Olson plays a sympathetic lead in an intense role. One expects there to be some kind of character development, some payoff for the emotional investment in the main character that the film builds up. Unfortunately, plotwise, the film devolves into a vehicle for cheap thrills and goes nowhere. One wishes it would have been more, but for what it is, it is still worth a view. Recommended to those interested in social dynamics and what life is like for people caught up in cults.

3.5 / 5.0