7 months ago
Film Reviews: ‘The Testament of Ann Lee,’ ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,’ and ‘Young Mothers’
Three new movies have been reviewed by critics.
‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ is a biographical musical about the founder of the Shakers, starring Amanda Seyfried.
It’s a unique and powerful film that might not appeal to everyone but is praised for its bold vision.
‘28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ is the second in a zombie trilogy, featuring Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell.
It’s a dark and intense movie that explores themes of belief and spirituality in a post-apocalyptic world.
‘Young Mothers’ is a Belgian drama about young single mothers, directed by the celebrated Dardenne brothers.
It’s a moving and understated film that highlights the challenges faced by its characters.
Each film has its own strengths and is worth watching for different reasons.
‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ is a biographical musical about Ann Lee, the founder of the Shakers, starring Amanda Seyfried and directed by Mona Fastvold.
‘28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ is the second in a zombie trilogy, directed by Nia DaCosta, featuring Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell, and explores themes of belief and spirituality.
‘Young Mothers’ is a Belgian drama directed by the Dardenne brothers, focusing on the lives of young single mothers, and won Best Screenplay at Cannes.
Critics praise ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ for its bold vision and unique approach, ‘28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ for its intense and dark themes, and ‘Young Mothers’ for its moving and understated storytelling.
Each film has its own strengths and is recommended for different reasons, with ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ being unique and powerful, ‘28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ being dark and intense, and ‘Young Mothers’ being moving and understated.
- Who
- Critics from various publications reviewing three different films: ‘The Testament of Ann Lee,’ ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,’ and ‘Young Mothers’.
- What
- Film reviews discussing the themes, performances, and directorial approaches of the three movies.
- Where
- The films are reviewed in major publications like The New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, The Hollywood Reporter, The Atlantic, The Daily Beast, The New Yorker, and Time.
- When
- The reviews are for films released in 2026.
- Why
- To provide insights and opinions on the latest cinematic releases, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses.
Key facts
- The Testament of Ann Lee
- Directed by Mona Fastvold, starring Amanda Seyfried, biographical musical about Ann Lee, founder of the Shakers.
- 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
- Directed by Nia DaCosta, starring Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell, second in a zombie trilogy.
- Young Mothers
- Directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Belgian drama about single young mothers, winner of Best Screenplay at Cannes.
- The Testament of Ann Lee Rating
- ★★★
- 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Rating
- ★★★
- Young Mothers Rating
- ★★★
Quotes
Alissa Wilkinson
Critic from The New York Times
“When an artist takes a swing this colossal and stays true to their vision in every way, the resulting work deserves respect, and is always worth seeing.”
theweek.com
Peter Bradshaw
Critic from The Guardian
“Rationalists in the audience might be tempted to ask, 'Well, what is the testament of Ann Lee, exactly?'”
theweek.com
Monica Hesse
Critic from The Washington Post
“It’s the story of one woman who was ravenous to be closer to God, and following that journey proves richly satisfying.”
theweek.com
Johnny Oleksinski
Critic from the New York Post
“Squeamish, beware.”
theweek.com
David Rooney
Critic from The Hollywood Reporter
“Fiennes elevates the movie whenever he’s onscreen.”
theweek.com
David Sims
Critic from The Atlantic
“It also prepares the way for an outstanding climactic set piece that should give viewers a reason to be hopeful, rather than fearful, for postapocalyptic humanity.”
theweek.com
Nick Schager
Critic from The Daily Beast
“Understated, graceful, and moving, this Belgian drama from the celebrated Dardenne brothers is, to me, the first great film of 2026.”
theweek.com
Justin Chang
Critic from The New Yorker
“They lean more on exposition, which doesn’t play to their cinematic strengths.”
theweek.com
Stephanie Zacharek
Critic from Time
“Young Mothers is fiction, but it has the feel of documentary.”
theweek.com
