Movie Review: Martha Marcy May Marlene

While not a fun-and-popcorn entertainment movie, “Martha Marcy May Marlene” is a cautionary tale—a teaching piece, perhaps, a la the prison documentary horror “Scared Straight!”

Mark Jackson

Film Critic

10/21/2011|Updated: 10/1/2015

<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/Matha_Print_B.jpg" alt="(L-R) Elizabeth Olsen as a young woman haunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia after leaving a cult, seeking help from her sister, played by Sarah Paulson, in the drama 'Martha Marcy May Marlene.' (Drew Innis/Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation)" title="(L-R) Elizabeth Olsen as a young woman haunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia after leaving a cult, seeking help from her sister, played by Sarah Paulson, in the drama 'Martha Marcy May Marlene.' (Drew Innis/Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation)" width="575" class="size-medium wp-image-1796007"/></a>

(L-R) Elizabeth Olsen as a young woman haunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia after leaving a cult, seeking help from her sister, played by Sarah Paulson, in the drama 'Martha Marcy May Marlene.' (Drew Innis/Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation)

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Mark Jackson

Film Critic

Mark Jackson is the senior film critic for The Epoch Times and a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. Mark earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Williams College, followed by classical theater conservatory training, and has 20 years' experience as a New York professional actor. He narrated The Epoch Times audiobook "How the Specter of Communism Is Ruling Our World," available on iTunes, Audible, and YouTube. Mark is featured in the book "How to Be a Film Critic in Five Easy Lessons" by Christopher K. Brooks. In addition to films, he enjoys Harley-Davidsons, rock-climbing, qigong, martial arts, and human rights activism.