Amanda Seyfried’s Acclaimed Gem The Oscars Overlooked Just Hit Hulu Today

If you missed Amanda Seyfried absolutely tearing it up in The Testament of Ann Lee, there’s good news: it just landed on Hulu today. And yes, this is that movie—a lot of people were genuinely stunned when Seyfried got ignored by the Oscars for this one. Golden Globe nom, critics cheering, and then… nothing from the Academy. Classic move.

So What’s the Movie About?

The Testament of Ann Lee digs into the real-life story of Ann Lee, the founder of the Shakers (think old-school American religious sect, big into equality and simple living). Seyfried plays Ann Lee herself, leaning right into the contradictions—a revered leader, but also someone who’s constantly fighting for her vision and pushing back against her own community and the times she lived in. The movie doesn’t shy from the strange or spiritual, either; it mixes in reworked Shaker hymns and plenty of moments where Seyfried gets to portray Lee’s wild swings between joy and pain as she tries to create her own kind of utopia.

Award Season Head-Scratcher

So here’s where it gets a little weird. Seyfried nailed the Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy, but when it came time for the Oscars, nada. No nomination. A lot of folks online (and, let’s be honest, a lot of critics) thought this was a massive oversight. For what it’s worth, the movie is sitting pretty at 86% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with over 200 critics weighing in.

'Based on a true legend, The Testament of Ann Lee depicts the story of the founder of the devotional sect known as the Shakers. Amanda Seyfried stars as the Shaker’s revered, irrepressible leader who preaches gender and social equality. With reimagined Shaker hymns, the film captures Lee’s ecstasy and agony in her quest to build a utopia.'

Who Made This and Who Else Is In It?

The film’s director is Mona Fastvold (she worked on The World to Come and The Brutalist), and she co-wrote the script with Brady Corbet. The cast is actually kind of packed, so here’s a quick rundown:

• Amanda Seyfried as Ann Lee (obviously the main draw)
• Thomasin McKenzie
• Lewis Pullman
• Tim Blake Nelson
• Christopher Abbott
• Stacy Martin
• Matthew Beard
• Viola Prettejohn
• …and plenty more faces popping in and out

Production wasn’t small-scale either; the list of producers runs long—Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold, Andrew Morrison, Joshua Horsfield, Viktória Petrányi, Gregory Jankilevitsch, Klaudia Śmieja-Rostworowska, Lillian LaSalle, and Mark Lampert all had a hand in getting this thing made.

Bottom Line

Whether you’re chasing some award season closure or just want to see Seyfried go deep on a role that’s all kinds of complicated, The Testament of Ann Lee is finally easy to stream. Fire up Hulu, and you can judge the Oscar snub for yourself.