"Ann Lee" Trailer: Best Picture Nomination Incoming?

Searchlight Pictures has finally unveiled the first full trailer for The Testament Of Ann Lee. Written and directed by Mona Fastvold, the musical period drama explores the founder of the Shaker movement, Ann Lee, played by Amanda Seyfried. She's surrounded by an enticing ensemble including Christopher Abbott, Lewis Pullman, Thomasin McKenzie, and Tim Blake Nelson.

The trailer transports us to an unforgiving eighteenth century. Seyfried looks to be delivering what could be her greatest performance to date, channeling both spiritual ecstasy and human fragility. The film seeks to explore the power of the woman whose grief and pure devotion gave shape to the religious Shaker movement. The trailer delivers one striking image after another: an array of candlelit scenes portraying gatherings and festivities, piercing New England landscapes, and dusky, foreboding glimpses of despair. Cinematographer William Rexer's film photography is perhaps the real standout here.

"Ann Lee"'s Awards chances

The musical elements of the film give The Testament of Ann Lee a singular identity, and are perhaps the kind of daring choices that will stand out to academy voters. The score is front-and-center, crafted by last year's Oscar winner, Daniel Blumberg. And with the inclusion of an original song, that's two potential nominations for the Academy's music branch to award. The prominent role the score plays in the story may assist it towards a nomination.

Amanda Seyfried's career has been building toward a role like this, coming off the heels of her Oscar nominated supporting role in David Fincher’s Mank, as well as her acclaimed performance in The Dropout. This appears to be her biggest and boldest transformation to date.  She sits at #4 in Award Expert's aggregated community predictions with 64% predicting a nomination. While the share of users predicting her is down 7% over the last thirty days, the trailer could give her a rebound.

Perhaps the film's key asset this season is the distributor Searchlight Pictures. They hold a strong track record in getting films across the Best Picture finish line year after year. Previous success include the Oscar-winning Nomadland, The Shape Of Water and Birdman , as well as nominations for The Banshees Of Inisherin, Poor Things and Nightmare Alley. It's hard to count Searchlight out of the race, and with the their only other credible contenders being Is This Thing On? and Rental Family, it's clear Ann Lee's got their best shot. Expect them to go all-in.

If there’s one challenge ahead, it's accessibility. The film is deliberately paced and meditative, potentially making it a tough sit for casual moviegoers. We've also seen a wide range of reactions coming out of festivals. Some hail it as one of the year's best films, while others left feeling cold and indifferent. But reviews are positive overall, holding a 3.6 on Letterboxd with a significant amount of 4.5/5 ratings. It also boasts 89% on Rotten Tomatoes and 77 on Metacritic. To land in Best Picture, it helps tremendously to have voters rank your film at number one on the ballot. Given the passion from some viewers, Ann Lee might benefit from this system.

Currently the film sits at #13 on the award expert app with 13% of users anticipating a nomination. Watch out for an uptick after this trailer. As Searchlight's primary horse in the race with the potential to score nominations in Best Actress and various craft categories, The Testament Of Ann Lee has the potential to break into one of the ten Best Picture slots.