29. 'Martha Marcy May Marlene'

Elizabeth Olsen’s breakout performance comes as a former cult member who seeks out her older sister for help; help that’s not entirely related to escaping the cult itself -- and the cult’s sinister leader, played quite brilliantly by John Hawkes -- but more to escape the memories of a now past life that she’s still confused about. The tone of the film is a constant dread -- dread that eventually establishes itself in the guise of ambiguity. -- M.R.