Artist Martha Marcy May Marlene

A note to future Hollywood starlets: Make a folksy indie flick with John Hawkes playing a creep, and your career will soar. As was the case with Jennifer Lawrence’s Oscar nominated role opposite Hawkes in Winter’s Bone, Elizabeth Olsen’s turn in Martha Marcy May Marlene is getting the biz talkin’. Best known as the Olsen sister that isn’t Mary-Kate or Ashley, Elizabeth plays Martha, a runaway that gets caught up in an underground cult. Naturally, Hawkes plays the off-putting cult leader that catches Martha in his dark web. Originally debuting at Sundance to overwhelming acclaim, Olsen is being singled out for her performance in the thriller.

Updated 09/28/2011