Shallow Grave (1995)
RT Audience Score: 83%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 BAFTA Award
14 wins & 1 nomination total
Led by a mesmerizing debut performance from Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene is a distinctive, haunting psychological drama
Martha Marcy May Marlene is a film that will leave you feeling like you need a hug and a stiff drink. With a cast of exceptional actors, including Elizabeth Olsen and John Hawkes, this movie takes you on a journey through the mind of a young woman who has escaped a cult. The flashbacks are haunting, and the tension builds until the very end. It’s not a movie for everyone, but if you’re in the mood for a psychological thriller that will make you question everything, then this is the film for you. Just make sure you have that drink ready when the credits roll.
Production Company(ies)
Ealing Studios, Michael Balcon Productions,
Distributor
Fox Searchlight
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
6 North East Circus Place, New Town, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for scenes of strong grisly violence, and for some language and nudity
Year of Release
1995
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby SR
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 41m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 21, 2011 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 21, 2012
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson, John Hawkes, Hugh Dancy, Brady Corbet, Christopher Abbott, directed by Sean Durkin, written by Sean Durkin, produced by Josh Mond, Antonio Campos, Chris Maybach, Patrick Cunningham, drama, R-rated, box office gross $3.0M, reviewed by Christy Lemire, Peter Rainer, Violet Lucca, Lisa Schwarzbaum, Jason Wood, Tim Robey, Mike Massie, Tom Meek, Richard Propes, Brent McKnight, Leigh Paatsch, psychological drama, cult, escape, paranoia, memories, flashbacks, manipulative leader, estranged sister, disturbing violent content, disturbing sexual content, language, nudity, Fox Searchlight
Worldwide gross: $2,079,569
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $4,089,181
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,229
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 445,930
US/Canada gross: $2,079,569
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $4,089,181
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,862
US/Canada opening weekend: $105,614
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $207,675
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,656
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $2,500,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $4,915,900
Production budget ranking: 1,916
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $2,647,212
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$3,473,931
ROI to date (est.): -46%
ROI ranking: 1,661
Sarah Paulson – Lucy
John Hawkes – Patrick
Hugh Dancy – Ted
Brady Corbet – Watts
Christopher Abbott – Max
Josh Mond – Producer
Antonio Campos – Producer
Chris Maybach – Producer
Patrick Cunningham – Producer
Sean Durkin – Director, Writer
Director(s)
Sean Durkin
Writer(s)
Sean Durkin
Producer(s)
Josh Mond, Antonio Campos, Chris Maybach, Patrick Cunningham
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 BAFTA Award
14 wins & 1 nomination total
Academy Awards
All Critics (211) | Top Critics (62) | Fresh (189) | Rotten (22)
In quiet, intimate ways, it is one of the most startling, haunting films you’ll see all year.
March 18, 2014
Christy Lemire
Associated Press
TOP CRITIC
Durkin intersperses the present-day scenes with increasingly revelatory flashbacks from Martha’s two years in the cult.
March 18, 2014 | Rating: B
Peter Rainer
Christian Science Monitor
TOP CRITIC
With a diegesis mapped along the mental contours of its protagonist, Martha Marcy May Marlene harkens back to Pasolini’s notion of the cinema of poetry–and achieves it beautifully.
June 28, 2013
Violet Lucca
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
MMMM emphasizes the social and economic discrepancies between Martha’s then and now, and alludes to Lucy’s guilt about not being there for her younger sister in the past.
February 18, 2012 | Rating: B+
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
Like the ordeals of the central character, the film flickers powerfully in the memory.
February 3, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
Jason Wood
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
A slippery thriller about fugitive states, and not knowing where you belong, or even who you are.
February 3, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
Tim Robey
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
The acting is exceptional all around, as is the minimalist score.
November 30, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
John Hawkes is again creepy and compelling here as the iron-handed cult leader, and Elizabeth Olsen gives a breakout turn as the title character – a new recruit with eyes looking back to the outside world.
September 25, 2020 | Rating: 3/4
Tom Meek
Cambridge Day
In addition to Olsen’s mesmerizing performance, John Hawkes turns in yet another award-worthy performance as the haunting and unforgettable Patrick.
September 16, 2020 | Rating: 4.0/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
A long, slow build, where the pressure and apprehension grows and increases steadily throughout, wrapping you in a tight squeezing grip.
July 11, 2020 | Rating: B+
Brent McKnight
The Last Thing I See
Not for all tastes, but the haunting power of the unheralded Olsen’s performance is undeniable.
June 17, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/5
Leigh Paatsch
Herald Sun (Australia)
Some viewers will find this a frustrating experience, particularly come the ending. Overall, though, this is a well constructed picture by Sean Durkin and the acting led brilliantly by a new talent in Olsen.
February 13, 2020
Jim Ross
TAKE ONE Magazine…
Plot
Three friends in Edinburgh, Scotland, interview and select a new flatmate. He’s hardly moved in than they discover him dead in his room. An ethical dilemma ensues when they discover that he possessed a large amount of cash. Things get worse as the men whose money it was search for it, and the three friends start to turn on each other.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Elizabeth Olsen delivers a mesmerizing debut performance in Martha Marcy May Marlene.
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