1 / 8
MONEY
Did you know
Earned back only 42% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
The Testament of Ann Lee
"The Earth will shake and tremble."
2025 2h 17m EN
😐
6.3
MID
★6.3TMDB · 187
HistoryDramaMusic
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
The extraordinary true legend of Ann Lee, founder of the devotional sect known as the Shakers, who preached gender and social equality and was revered by her followers as the female Christ.
“The Earth will shake and tremble.”
Cast
Amanda Seyfried
Ann Lee
Lewis Pullman
William Lee
Thomasin McKenzie
Mary Partington / Narrator
Matthew Beard
James Whittaker
Christopher Abbott
Abraham Standerin
Viola Prettejohn
Nancy Lee
David Cale
John Hocknell
Stacy Martin
Jane Wardly
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Mona Fastvold
- Writers
- Mona Fastvold, Brady Corbet
- Languages
- English
- Countries
- United States of America, United Kingdom, Sweden, Cyprus, Hungary
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Released last year.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
WORLD
Did you know
International production across 5 countries: United States of America, United Kingdom, Sweden, Cyprus, Hungary.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
CAST
Did you know
244+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Directed by Mona Fastvold, shot by William Rexer. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by Daniel Blumberg. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Sofía Subercaseaux shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Amanda Seyfried and Lewis Pullman and Thomasin McKenzie carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Mona Fastvold directs. William Rexer behind the camera. Daniel Blumberg scores. Sofía Subercaseaux cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America, United Kingdom, Sweden, Cyprus, Hungary. Dialogue in English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Earned back only 42% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
- 2Released last year.
- 3International production across 5 countries: United States of America, United Kingdom, Sweden, Cyprus, Hungary.
- 4244+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
- 5Directed by Mona Fastvold, shot by William Rexer. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 6Original score by Daniel Blumberg. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 7Editor Sofía Subercaseaux shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 8Amanda Seyfried and Lewis Pullman and Thomasin McKenzie carry the top of the cast.
- 9Marketing tagline: "The Earth will shake and tremble.".
- 10IMDB entry: tt34819091 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 11Classified under 18 themes, including "new york city", "christianity", "celibacy", "musical".
- 12Released under 12 different titles around the world.
The technical file
- Cinematography
- William Rexer
- Original score
- Daniel Blumberg
- Editing
- Sofía Subercaseaux
- Production design
- Sam Bader
- Costume design
- Małgorzata Karpiuk
- Makeup / hair
- Anna Törjék
- VFX supervisor
- Des Anwar
- Sound
- Steve Single
- Stunt coordinator
- Gáspár Szabó
- Runtime
- 137 min · 2h 17m
- Aspect ratio (typical)
- 1.37:1 (Academy)
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $10,000,000
- Box office
- $4,197,171
- Return
- 42% of budget
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- R
Also by
Mona Fastvold
Stills · wallpapers
Selected frames
Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Community reviews
What people are saying
- Manuel São Bento★ 6/10
FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://fandomwire.com/the-testament-of-ann-lee-review/ "The Testament of Ann Lee is a distinct, ambitiously formal historical vision by Mona Fastvold. It has its ups and downs, but it reaches 'safe harbor' thanks to the magnetic force and total commitment of Amanda Seyfried to the role of a figure of absolute conviction. Although the songs and production design create an often engaging audiovisual environment, the rhythmic repetition and lack of a stronger narrative "bite" prevent it from being the historical and musical epic it promised. It's a peculiar experience that invites reflection, because even in its moments of imbalance, it reinforces the powerful truth that one person's unwavering faith can, quite literally, shake the world." Rating: B-
- CinemaSerf★ 6/10
Mancunian born Ann Lee (Amanda Seyfried) made quite a name for herself as part of the Quaker movement that splintered into the aptly named Shakers after their uniquely energetic style of animated worshipping. Her rise to prominence as a sort of feminine Mesiah saw her encourage her followers into a life of sexual abstinence - to the chagrin of her blacksmith husband “Abraham” (Christopher Abbott) with whom she had already had, and lost, four children. Having achieved all they could with the so-called Wardley sect in Britain, they emigrated illiterate and penniless to Albany in New York State where they proceeded to establish an agrarian community and where she and her brother William (Lewis Pullman) proceeded to try to recruit new followers. Naturally, the facts that their faith was new and she a woman in a man’s world made things both difficult and perilous for all concerned, and the rest of her life is depicted as a rather too simplistic mixture of struggles and triumphs. There is something distinctly theatrical about this interpretation of her life, and her pilgrimage, and with some set-piece songs and choreography it at times reminded me a little of “Fiddler on the Roof” (1971) as it tried to marry religiosity and community with empowering elements of song and dance. For me, though, the film lacks for soul. Seyfried is entirely competent with her presentation, but at no time did I feel any sense of her passion. Not for her husband in the early days of their marriage, nor for her God as her faith took total control of her life. That emotional vacuum really does begin to impose itself as the history enters it’s American phase and as both she and her brother begin their recruitment drive, I couldn’t help but think any successes were more borne from failures and desperation elsewhere than any great compunction for their religion or it’s values. The pacing can be uncomfortably erratic at times as we spend too much time on the establishment of the characters and nowhere near enough time developing them convincingly. Aside from Seyfried it cries out for a stronger supporting lead as neither Pullman nor the sparingly featured Abbott get anywhere near what I thought was required to illustrate just how significant Lee's achievements really were. Indeed, it’s very much a series of two-dimensional performances we are watching as we frequently switch from scene to scene as if we were rotating a stage in a larger theatre. The production design is impressive and clearly a great deal of effort has gone into the aesthetics of this film, but somehow the substance has been left wanting and at times these people and their doctrine can come across as faintly ridiculous. To be fair, there was a lot of life to pack in here and so abridgements were always going to be necessary, but I’m not sure what we are left with here does much justice to the struggles and perseverance of her and her spiritual pioneers.
Production companies
Who made it
Mid March Media
CY
Annapurna Pictures
US
FirstGen Content
US
Mizzel Media
US
- YI
Yintai Entertainment
US
Kaplan Morrison
US
Intake Films
GB
Film i Väst
SE
GötaFilm
SE
Proton Cinema
HU
- AR
ArtClass Films
US
Carte Blanche
US
Key crew
- ProducerAndrew Morrison
- ProducerJoshua Horsfield
- ProducerViktória Petrányi
- ProducerMona Fastvold
- ProducerBrady Corbet
- ProducerMark Lampert
- ProducerGregory Jankilevitsch
- ProducerKlaudia Śmieja-Rostworowska
- ProducerLillian LaSalle
- Executive ProducerKyle Stroud
- Executive ProducerClaude Amadeo
- Executive ProducerRandal Sandler
- Executive ProducerMichael D'Alto
- Executive ProducerChris Triana
- Executive ProducerAdam Paulsen
- Executive ProducerSaskia Gigi Duff
- Executive ProducerTom Ogden
- Executive ProducerOleg Nodelman
- Executive ProducerChris Renteria
- Co-ProducerDaniel Lägersten
- Co-ProducerMaddie Browning
- Co-ProducerKristina Börjeson
- Executive ProducerMichael Fowler
- Music ProducerDaniel Blumberg
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- new york city
- christianity
- celibacy
- musical
- evangelical christianity
- 18th century
- woman director
- meditative
- manchester
- repression
- religious leader
- provocative
- admiring
- adoring
- exhilarated
- tragic
- based on real person
- shakers
Release history · US
When it landed
- Premiere2025-09-29· Beyond Fest
- Premiere2025-10-15· Woodstock Film Festival
- Premiere2025-10-23· Virginia Film Festival
- Premiere2025-10-26· AFI Fest
- Premiere2025-10-24· Philadelphia Film Festival
- Premiere2025-10-11· Hamptons International Film Festival
- Premiere2025-10-18· Heartland International Film Festival
- Premiere2025-10-16· Chicago International Film Festival
- Premiere2025-10-27· New Orleans Film Festival / SCAD Savannah Film Festival
- Premiere2025-11-08· Denver Film Festival
Also known as
International titles
- Ann LeeUS
- The Woman Clothed by the SunUS
- Le Testament d’Ann LeeFR
- The Testament of Ann Lee or The Woman Clothed by the Sun With The Moon Under Her FeetGB
- Anos Lee liudijimasLT
- The Woman Clothed by the Sun With the Moon at Her FeetUS
- Svědectví o Ann LeeCZ
- Priča o En LiRS
- 테스터먼트 오브 앤 리KR
- 더 테스터먼트 오브 앤 리KR
- 安李與她的烏托邦HK
- 安·李的证言CN
