Cult-Drama The Liberation Delivers Harrowing Empathy with Coon and James
At Telluride, The Liberation follows Rita Cooper, a Holocaust survivor who falls under the spell of cult leader Ricki in 1980s New Jersey, told across two timelines that trace her descent and how it tests her family. Anchored by powerhouse performances from Carrie Coon, Lily James, and Bella Ramsey, the film sensitively exposes the ordinary appeal of cults and the emotional cost of belonging, even as a few plot beats feel underdeveloped.
