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09/01/2025

🔥👀 Check new story at COSMO MAG !⭐ https://latest.cosmomag.pp.ua//blog/unc-cheerleader-says-football-program-is-completel-unc-cheerleader-says-football-program-140000832/

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UNC Cheerleader Says Football Program Is 'Completely Revamping' Ahead of Bill Belichick's 'Historic' First Season (Exclusive) Kelsie GibsonSeptember 2, 2025 at 12:00 AM Carly Hinson Photography; Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty UNC Cheerleader Kayla Engler, Bill Belichick As UNC prepares to kick off its f...

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- UNC Cheerleader Says Football Program Is 'Completely Revamping' Ahead of Bill Belichick's 'Historic' First Season (Exclusive)

Kelsie GibsonSeptember 2, 2025 at 12:00 AM

Carly Hinson Photography; Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty

UNC Cheerleader Kayla Engler, Bill Belichick
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As UNC prepares to kick off its football season with Bill Belichick as head coach, there are some exciting changes in store

PEOPLE spoke exclusively with UNC cheerleader Kayla Engler, who teased the "historic" new season and how the football and cheerleading teams are preparing

Engler also shares how she's balanced her duties as co-captain her senior year with content creation on social media, where she has over 19K followers

This football season isn't just an exciting time for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill fans; it’s also an exciting time for the players and cheerleaders taking the field.

As Bill Belichick enters his first season as head coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels on Sept. 1, the university is already implementing some “exciting” changes to usher in the new season, from the debut of a new Chapel Thrill Concert Series to the return of the Old Well Walk, where players will walk from the Old Well to the stadium before games.

Speaking exclusively with PEOPLE, UNC cheerleader and content creator Kayla Engler teases that there is plenty more in store for the season.

“They're completely revamping what football's gonna look like,” Engler, 21, says of the football program for the 2025-2026 season. “They've changed where the football players do their entrance, the Chase Rice concert,” she says, referencing the debut of the Chapel Thrill Concert Series, where the UNC alum will perform. "That's not just because of UNC, that's because of Bill,” she adds.

She notes that even having the games featured in the Monday night football slot is “historic” for the school. “Definitely big changes trickling in already, and I just can't even imagine what's gonna be coming next," she says.

Matt Kelley/Getty

Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels

She recalls the monumental moment when Belichick was introduced as head coach at the Dean Smith Center in December 2024, noting the energy was “electric” about his arrival to Chapel Hill even then.

“Already the Dean Dome was buzzing just because it's the Dean Dome, but when he walked out into the middle of that court, it felt like it was just him, like a spotlight, and hardly anyone else was out there," she remembers. "I've never seen a room erupt like that. My whole team was jumping up and down like popcorn on the sideline. It was unreal.”

“So to imagine that that early on, not even in his territory, not even as big of a stadium as Kenan [Memorial Stadium] will hold. I can't even imagine.”

With all eyes on UNC at the start of this season, she and the rest of her cheerleading squad are feeling the pressure, noting that her coaches are running an even tighter ship now “with the excitement of this season.”“It is a whole new ballpark,” Engler, a senior and one of the captains on the cheerleading team this year, emphasizes. “All of our coaches were cheerleaders at one point at UNC. They're like 20 years out of the program [and they’re saying] they've never seen anything like it before and they've touched this program for a very long time.”

Ray Engler/PZKimages

UNC Cheerleaders

As the Tar Heels take on Texas Christian University in their first game on Sept. 1, she adds that she’s on the “edge of” her seat to see how the football team turns things around with Belichick as coach.

“I know it's cheerleader, not cheer follower, but I definitely build off of the energy I get from the crowd,” she explains. “It's a bit symbiotic, like I'm putting energy out and they put energy back.”

“Not to be negative, but last season wasn't the best season we've had,” she admits. “So in terms of not [having] a packed stadium, watching people leave through the bleachers, that's not always the best feeling. I can't imagine for the football players, but also just being anybody on the field. So I'm excited for how much excitement there will be and that I'm gonna be able to feed off of that energy. Four-hour games are long, but when the crowd is buzzing, they fly by. I am excited for a super dynamic electric season that I'm gonna be super motivated and inspired, and pumped to be a part of. I feel like I'm getting to be a small part of UNC history."

In between cheerleading practices and attending classes for her business administration major, Engler also keeps busy as a full-time influencer, posting everything from UNC cheer to study diaries.

“I have been enamored with social media for as long as I can [remember],” Engler recalls of how her passion for content creation first came about, noting that she grew up watching popular YouTubers like James Charles.

Though her parents wouldn’t let her post makeup videos online at the time, she says she would create “FooTube” videos, aka fake YouTube videos, in her spare time.

Kayla Engler

Kayla Engler, UNC Cheerleader

In college, however, she says she decided to “take a shot at fulfilling a lifelong dream.” She started off by posting about her personal interests, including fitness and being a UNC student, but her content really started taking off when she began to post about being a UNC cheerleader.

She recalls that in January 2024, she got the exciting opportunity to work with Clinique as part of a campus ambassadorship they were running. And from there, things started to take off.

“It was a pretty steady growth, but in December 2024, I had a video go viral of me absolutely crashing out over studying for the wrong exam,” she explains of the viral TikTok. “I realized at 3 a.m, before my 8 a.m. exam, I'd studied for the wrong one. I just happened to be filming that day and that got like millions of hits. It was a big leap. From there, a lot more brands were interested. Then, spring of my junior year, I did even more brand deals and kept refining my content creation.”

Ray Engler/PZKimages

UNC Cheerleader Kayla Engler

Her content creation has seamlessly overlapped with her duties as co-cheer captain as well.

“Each captain takes a piece of the responsibilities,” she notes. “So one of the captains is over events. One of them is over game days. Mine is social media, very naturally. I've been able to use my social media platform as well as my brand connections to try to build the cheer platform more.”

“We just did a marketing campaign with a small jewelry brand that helped with our fundraising because resources are limited,” she provides as an example. “So it's helping our team in that way, but also getting our name out there more. Basically, the same brand deals that I do on my page, I'll just respond back to them and be like, ‘Oh, would you be interested in working with cheer?’ Even our head coach just approved us making a TikTok because they're really starting to see the opportunity that's in that space and the way that our program can benefit from that."

Kayla Engler

Kayla Engler, UNC Cheerleader

Engler adds that her cheerleading squad has been a lifeline for her during her college years. “My cheer family means the absolute world to me,” she explains. “I've met my bridesmaids. They are my everything here. They are the people that I lean back on when I need to have a breakdown or I need to rant about a long day.”

As Engler lists off all of her resume thus far, from being a cheerleading captain to being a Morehead-Cain Scholar, it’s hard to imagine how she finds time for it all. For her, it all comes down to balance, which she learned first-hand during her junior year.

“I wasn't juggling it at a point,” she explains. "Half of my junior year was a wreck. I've been learning as I'm going. I think I had to have everything fall apart to be able to keep this put together now. But if I'm trying to give like actual advice for how I'm making it work now, Google Calendar is my best friend. I'm really trying to be super self-aware about my limits because on a college campus with the hustle culture and everything, it's so easy to wanna say yes to everything.”

“Learning the benefit of saying no sometimes has been a big deal for me,” she adds. ”People give [more] grace than I expected. What I've learned is that asking for help has been a huge deal with my professors, my coaches. A lot of people are way more lenient than I expected and want to help and support, and see me succeed. I'm definitely very lucky to have a robust support system here.”

Kayla Engler

Kayla Engler, UNC Cheerleader

As she prepares to graduate in 2026, Engler already has her future mapped out. Though she isn’t completely ruling out NFL cheerleading, she notes her “main priorities are more career-oriented,” adding that she has her eyes set on N.Y.C.

“I am definitely feeling pulled to what I like to call the New York vortex,” she laughs. “I would love to work in marketing. I wanna do something creative and strategic that takes what I've been doing with my personal content creation and sort of flips it.”

Of course, she’s also planning on keeping up with content creation. After briefly visiting N.Y.C., she says she was enamored with all the opportunities for content in the Big Apple. “That definitely gave me a sneak peek into the sort of content I'd be able to make,” she adds. “My For You Page has totally transitioned into .”

“It’s almost like relating UNC as an identity, New York similarly has its own identity,” she adds of how her content as a student will seamlessly transition to content as a marketer. “I was honestly sad to leave New York because I was like, ‘I'm ready to start my life here right now. I'm ready to make all the content about New York. I'm ready to do my New York Day in the life.’ I'm excited for the job opportunities, but I'm also equally excited to get to capture it and share it on social media still.”

on People

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UNC Cheerleader Says Football Program Is 'Completely Revamping' Ahead of Bill Belichick's 'Historic' First Season (Exclusive) Kelsie GibsonSeptember 2, 2025 at 12:00 AM Carly Hinson Photography; Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty UNC Cheerleader Kayla Engler, Bill Belichick As UNC prepares to kick off its f...

09/01/2025

🔥👀 Check new story at COSMO MAG !⭐ https://latest.cosmomag.pp.ua//blog/fantasy-baseball-2-start-pitcher-rankings-parker-m-fantasy-baseball-2-start-pitcher-141022772/

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Fantasy Baseball 2Start Pitcher Rankings: Parker Messick sits atop ranks, continuing to shine for Guardians Fred ZinkieSeptember 2, 2025 at 12:10 AM When factoring in that we are entering September, this is an excellent list of twostart pitchers for fantasy baseball.

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- Fantasy Baseball 2-Start Pitcher Rankings: Parker Messick sits atop ranks, continuing to shine for Guardians

Fred ZinkieSeptember 2, 2025 at 12:10 AM

When factoring in that we are entering September, this is an excellent list of two-start pitchers for fantasy baseball. After all, many rotations are running on fumes at this time of year. The first name on the list is an exciting option, and the next two pitchers are quite appealing as well. There is also a pair of innings eaters who can meet the needs of some fantasy baseball managers. The hitting options are less appealing this week, although Matt Wallner should be added everywhere.

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season]

Two-Start Pitchers (listed in order of preference)

Parker Messick, Guardians, 28% (@ BOS, @ TB): Messick has enjoyed one of the best debuts in recent memory, allowing one run while posting a 12:1 K:BB ratio across 13.2 innings during his initial two starts. The left-hander visits two difficult road venues this week, but he should still be started in most leagues. It helps that the Rays are 17-22 since the All-Star break.

Ryne Nelson, Diamondbacks, 42% (vs. TEX, vs. BOS): Although August was Nelson’s worst month of the season (4.60 ERA) in terms of run prevention, he logged an excellent 27:4 K:BB ratio and finished the month by holding the Brewers to one run over six innings. The right-hander has matchups that are slightly harder than average this week, but it helps that they both come at home, where Nelson has logged a 2.42 ERA this year.

Luis Morales, Athletics, 26% (@ STL, @ LAA): Morales has looked great in three starts with the Athletics, posting an 18:4 K:BB ratio while allowing just two earned runs over 18 innings. The success at the major league level comes on the heels of a strong minor league season that included a 3.73 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 107 strikeouts over 89.1 innings. Morales hasn’t received as much attention as the likes of Messick or the Mets rookie starters (Jonah Tong, Nolan McLean), but deserves a spot in most lineups for a two-start week with matchups that are slightly better than average.

Taijuan Walker, Phillies, 12% (@ MIL, @ MIA): After spending much of the season in the bullpen, Walker returned to the rotation on July 8 and has logged solid results that include a 3.61 ERA and a 27:10 K:BB ratio. The right-hander has just one win in that nine-start stretch but has often deserved a better fate while pitching for a division-leading team. His matchups are a mixed bag this week, as the Brewers are a difficult matchup but he should handle the Marlins. I can see his appeal in deeper formats.

Colin Rea, Cubs, 25% (vs. ATL, vs. WSH): The Cubs have received exactly what they expected from Rea, who has logged a below-average 4.60 ERA over 23 starts while averaging just under five innings per outing. The right-hander would not normally find a spot on this list, but he has some win potential this week when he faces two teams that sit far below .500. He’s only for those who are desperate for wins.

Slade Cecconi, Guardians, 12% (@ BOS, @ TB): Cecconi bounced back from a pair of subpar outings to log quality starts in each of his past two starts. With a 7.3 K/9 rate, the 26-year-old has a low ceiling, and his matchups this week are slightly more difficult than average. Cecconi can be used in 15-team leagues, but that’s the height of his appeal.

Patrick Corbin, Rangers, 13% (@ ARI, vs. HOU): Corbin entered August with a reasonable stat line before producing a 7.17 ERA and 1.83 WHIP in five starts. And his 16:11 K:BB ratio suggests that he deserved his poor stat line. The D-backs and Astros are slightly better than average against left-handed pitching, which is the final reason to leave the southpaw on waivers.

One-Start Streamers

In order, here are the best streamers for the week, with their start date and Yahoo roster rate in brackets.

Payton Tolle vs. CLE (Wednesday, 30%)

Emmet Sheehan @ PIT (Tuesday, 30%)

Jonah Tong @ CIN (Friday, 47%)

Ryan Bergert vs. LAA (Thursday, 28%)

José Soriano vs. ATH (Friday, 40%)

Ian Seymour vs. CLE (Friday, 30%)

Zebby Matthews vs. CWS (Wednesday, 13%)

Jack Leiter @ ARI (Wednesday, 42%)

Cade Cavalli vs. MIA (Tuesday, 7%)

Braxton Ashcraft vs. LAD (Wednesday, 18%)

Shane Smith @ MIN (Thursday, 14%)

J.T. Ginn @ LAA (Saturday, 7%)

Michael Lorenzen vs. LAA (Wednesday, 8%)

Nestor Cortes vs. BAL (Wednesday, 20%)

Joey Wentz @ CHC (Tuesday, 6%)

Luis Severino @ STL (Tuesday, 20%)

Hitters with favorable matchups this week

Matt Wallner, OF, Twins, 11%: Wallner has benefited from a recent schedule with a lot of right-handed starters, and his good fortune should continue this week when the Twins face righties in six of their seven games. The slugger has a lifetime .902 OPS against righties, and to put that mark into perspective, there are only seven qualified hitters with an overall OPS of .902 this year. He should be the No. 1 option for anyone who needs power production.

Casey Schmitt, 1B/2B/3B/SS, Giants, 3%: Schmitt and his teammates could score plenty of runs at the outset of the week when they travel to Coors Field to face a Rockies pitching staff that has a 6.52 ERA at home. And the second series is a manageable one in St. Louis, as the Cardinals are rolling out plenty of mediocre starters down the stretch. Schmitt was used heavily in August (98 at-bats), and with four eligible positions, he is easy to fit into a lineup.

Tyler Freeman, 2B/SS/OF, Rockies, 9%: The Rockies present a tough decision for fantasy managers this week. The club is set to play the entire scoring period at their hitter-friendly home park, which normally means that they should join fantasy lineups. However, Colorado has been merely average in terms of scoring runs at home this year, and this week they are scheduled to face above-average starters in most of their games. Still, in deeper formats, Freeman or some of his teammates make sense.

Jo Adell, OF, Angels, 45%: The matchups aren’t perfect for Adell this week, as he fares best against lefties and the Angels face seven right-handed starters. Still, I wanted to mention someone on the Angels, as the club not only plays seven games but will spend one series against an Athletics staff that ranks 28th in baseball in ERA. I chose to mention Adell because his roster rate is too low for someone who has produced 23 homers and 58 RBI since the beginning of June.

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Fantasy Baseball 2Start Pitcher Rankings: Parker Messick sits atop ranks, continuing to shine for Guardians Fred ZinkieSeptember 2, 2025 at 12:10 AM When factoring in that we are entering September, this is an excellent list of twostart pitchers for fantasy baseball.

09/01/2025

🔥👀 Check new story at COSMO MAG !⭐ https://latest.cosmomag.pp.ua//blog/florida-state-freshman-linebacker-ethan-pritchard--florida-state-freshman-linebacker-ethan-141702137/

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Florida State freshman linebacker Ethan Pritchard in intensive care after sustaining gunshot wound Ian CasselberrySeptember 2, 2025 at 12:17 AM Freshman Florida State linebacker Ethan Pritchard is in critical, but stable condition in the intensive care unit after sustaining a gunshot wound on Sunday...

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- Florida State freshman linebacker Ethan Pritchard in intensive care after sustaining gunshot wound

Ian CasselberrySeptember 2, 2025 at 12:17 AM

Freshman Florida State linebacker Ethan Pritchard is in critical, but stable condition in the intensive care unit after sustaining a gunshot wound on Sunday night in Havana, Florida. He was in Havana visiting family, approximately 17 miles from Tallahassee.

"The Pritchard family is thankful for the support from so many people, as well as the care from first responders and medical professionals, and asks that their privacy be respected at this time. Further updates will be provided as they are available," said a statement released by Florida State on Monday.

This story will be with more information.

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Florida State freshman linebacker Ethan Pritchard in intensive care after sustaining gunshot wound Ian CasselberrySeptember 2, 2025 at 12:17 AM Freshman Florida State linebacker Ethan Pritchard is in critical, but stable condition in the intensive care unit after sustaining a gunshot wound on Sunday...

09/01/2025

🔥👀 Check new story at COSMO MAG !⭐ https://latest.cosmomag.pp.ua//blog/florida-state-freshman-lb-shot-hospitalized-in-cri-florida-state-freshman-lb-shot-141948158/

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Florida State freshman LB shot, hospitalized in 'critical but stable' condition Steve Gardner, USA TODAYSeptember 2, 2025 at 12:19 AM A freshman football player at Florida State was shot late Sunday night while visiting family in Havana, Florida.

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- Florida State freshman LB shot, hospitalized in 'critical but stable' condition

Steve Gardner, USA TODAYSeptember 2, 2025 at 12:19 AM

A freshman football player at Florida State was shot late Sunday night while visiting family in Havana, Florida.

The school confirmed in a social media post on Monday, Sept. 1 that linebacker Ethan Pritchard suffered a gunshot wound and is in the intensive care unit in "critical but stable" condition. The Tallahassee Democrat, part of the USA TODAY Network, reports Pritchard underwent surgery Sunday night at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.

Captain Anglie Holmes, a spokesperson for the Gadsden County Sheriff's Office, said there has been misinformation spread online about a potential suspect. She said the sheriff’s office has been canvassing the area for information after Pritchard was shot inside a vehicle.

Pritchard was a three-star recruit from Seminole High School (Sanford, Florida) who enrolled at Florida State over the summer. He did not play in Saturday's season-opening win over Alabama.

makes his final pick on ESPN's "College GameDay" prior to the game between Ohio State and Texas at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won the game, 14-7.

" style=padding-bottom:56%>Aug. 30: Lee Corso puts on the Brutus mascot head between Kirk Herbstreit and Pat McAfee as he makes his final pick on ESPN's "College GameDay" prior to the game between Ohio State and Texas at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won the game, 14-7.

" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Nf4Yp24KvxFX0rFr1qkfqw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/dcec00203dc5801a38733b8502ac7bbb class=caas-img data-headline="Colllege football fanfare: Cheerleaders, mascots, fans at games during 2025 season" data-caption="

Aug. 30: Lee Corso puts on the Brutus mascot head between Kirk Herbstreit and Pat McAfee as he makes his final pick on ESPN's "College GameDay" prior to the game between Ohio State and Texas at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won the game, 14-7.

">Aug. 30: Lee Corso puts on the Brutus mascot head between Kirk Herbstreit and Pat McAfee as he makes his final pick on ESPN's "College GameDay" prior to the game between Ohio State and Texas at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won the game, 14-7.

" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Nf4Yp24KvxFX0rFr1qkfqw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/dcec00203dc5801a38733b8502ac7bbb class=caas-img>Lee Corso's final ESPN "College GameDay" prediction.

" style=padding-bottom:56%>Aug. 30: The Ohio State marching band spells "CORSO" before the game against Texas at Ohio Stadium. The game marked Lee Corso's final ESPN "College GameDay" prediction.

" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Iyk1ZwsdiS6oVs7RjPHoLw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/110645e355b715edafd85b56270b55b6 class=caas-img data-headline="Colllege football fanfare: Cheerleaders, mascots, fans at games during 2025 season" data-caption="

Aug. 30: The Ohio State marching band spells "CORSO" before the game against Texas at Ohio Stadium. The game marked Lee Corso's final ESPN "College GameDay" prediction.

">Aug. 30: The Ohio State marching band spells "CORSO" before the game against Texas at Ohio Stadium. The game marked Lee Corso's final ESPN "College GameDay" prediction.

" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Iyk1ZwsdiS6oVs7RjPHoLw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/110645e355b715edafd85b56270b55b6 class=caas-img>

1 / 15Colllege football fanfare: Cheerleaders, mascots, fans at games during 2025 seasonAug. 30: Oregon football fans show their support before the game against at Autzen Stadium.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Florida State football player Ethan Pritchard shot, hospitalized

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Florida State freshman LB shot, hospitalized in 'critical but stable' condition Steve Gardner, USA TODAYSeptember 2, 2025 at 12:19 AM A freshman football player at Florida State was shot late Sunday night while visiting family in Havana, Florida.

09/01/2025

🔥👀 Check new story at COSMO MAG !⭐ https://latest.cosmomag.pp.ua//blog/the-testament-of-ann-lee-review-amanda-seyfried-sh-testament-ann-lee-review-amanda-140024250/

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‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ Review: Amanda Seyfried Shakes, Battles and Extols in an Arresting Religious Biopic Guy LodgeSeptember 1, 2025 at 10:00 PM Courtesy of Charades Those of us who first understood Shakerism not as a religious movement but as a mailorder furniture company — like a particularly...

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- ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ Review: Amanda Seyfried Shakes, Battles and Extols in an Arresting Religious Biopic

Guy LodgeSeptember 1, 2025 at 10:00 PM

Courtesy of Charades

Those of us who first understood Shakerism not as a religious movement but as a mail-order furniture company — like a particularly elegant, artisanal version of Ikea — have much to learn from “The Testament of Ann Lee,” and a bit to unlearn too. Ascetic simplicity, the quality most conventionally associated with the vanishing Christian sect, is not exactly the order of the day in director Mona Fastvold’s blazingly ambitious and busy portrait of its founding mother, which oscillates dynamically between the modes of intrepid New World epic and expressionistic musical.

If the results are as bracingly eccentric as that description promises, they’re also less ironic than you might think. Fastvold and her co-writer/creative partner Brady Corbet may maintain a cool, analytical distance in their study of an extreme religious movement founded on challenging principles of celibacy and utopian equality, but “The Testament of Ann Lee” isn’t a travesty or a mockery. As a study of unyielding faith practiced on wholly singular terms, it’s raptly respectful and intellectually curious, even if dramatically, it can pall across the course of a languid 136-minute runtime. But it’s as a full-blown song-and-dance affair — about the least likely, biggest-swinging shape Lee’s story could taken — that the film is most stunningly persuasive.

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First a caveat: There are no jazz hands in “The Testament of Ann Lee,” though Celia Rowlson-Hall’s startling choreography serves up restless limbs and clawing digits aplenty. Nor are the songs melodically Broadway-ready: Instead, they’re artfully adapted by Oscar-winning composer Daniel Blumberg (“The Brutalist”) from old Shaker spirituals, embedded in a changeable, exhilarating soundscape of discordant strings, tingly metallic percussion and shrill choral wave .

But the musical vernacular is invigorating, caught between quaint historical immersion and reckless anachronism in a way that’s reflected throughout Fastvold’s filmmaking, from mise-en-scène to performance style. (Her previous film, 2020’s stark 19th-century le***an romance “The World to Come,” prepared us for this clash of eras and sensibilities in a far lower key.) Austere antiquity is in constant conflict with more sensual, modern impulses — a tension that feels productive applied to a story of the Shakers, puritans whom time has proven too pure for this world.

On paper, this might all sound quite bloodless and conceptual. In practice, it has an earnest, full-hearted sweep, in large part thanks to a performance of redoubtable commitment and nerve-deep feeling by Amanda Seyfried — far from the musical terrain of either “Mamma Mia!” or “Les Misérables,” but fully in command of her gifts — in the title role.

After a stylized prologue (or overture, if you will) that sees a junior Shaker acolyte (Thomasin McKenzie) leading a kind of body-knotting memorial ceremony for the late founder in a Niskayuna forest, we rewind to Lee’s working-class childhood in mid-18th-century Manchester, England, where poverty and paternal abuse combined to give the young girl (played first by Esmee Hewett, then Millie Rose Crossley) a preternaturally stoic demeanor — along with a horror of “fleshly cohabitation” prompted by early, traumatic sightings of her parents doing the deed.

She finds comfort in her intense bond with her younger brother William (Benjamin Bagota, then Harry Conway), and even more so in her ardent, unwavering Christian faith. This leads her as a young woman to a more aberrantly devout sect led by Jane Wardley (Stacy Martin) and her preacher husband James (Scott Handy), informally named the “Shaking Quakers” for their practice of violently trembling, seizure-like dancing at gatherings, believed to cleanse the body of sin. She marries rough-hewn laborer Abraham (an excellent Christopher Abbott) and births four children, all of whom — in a montage of cycling, escalating anguish, beautifully cut by editor Sofia Subercaseaux — die before reaching their first birthday.

This inordinate accumulation of tragedy is what finally convinces Ann — much to her husband’s consternation — that lifelong celibacy is the only way to achieve true closeness to God. That becomes the core tenet of her own offshoot of Shaking Quakerism, which she, William (now Lewis Pullman) and her few followers determine can only thrive away from the dirt and debauchery of Manchester, and indeed the British Isles. Cue a transatlantic voyage to America, where on dry upstate land Shakerism as we recognize it today begins to take shape — quite literally, as Samuel Bader’s meticulous production design and William Rexer’s linen-textured lensing deftly begin to limn the movement’s signature aesthetic, breaking from the dim, russety visual clutter of the film’s previous chapters. Still, a stable, spreading presence doesn’t come without skeptical resistance from their fellow settlers.

Divided into chapters marked by exquisitely designed, archaically worded title cards — the film’s own subtitle, incidentally, is “The Woman Clothed by the Sun With the Moon Under Her Feet” — it’s a robust, often stirring cradle-to-grave saga with more narrative emphasis placed on communal discord and well-being than on individual yearnings and frustrations. That feels spiritually in line with Shaker doctrine, though it yields mixed rewards dramatically: Ann and Abraham’s suddenly sexless marriage merits more screen time and scrutiny, as does her poignant but intriguingly, ambiguously devoted relationship to William.

Seyfried, her extraordinary eyes never wider or more steeled with conviction, is quite dazzling as Ann the self-made icon, wielding a poised, peaceable but controlling authority on scene after scene while rarely raising her voice except in lilting song. But, perhaps appropriately, she never lets us past her buttoned-to-the-neck, mother-to-all-and-none veneer: We don’t know what Ann, in her darkest heart of hearts, truly wants from this life and the next. Maybe she doesn’t either.

It’s in those enthralling, borderline-absurd musical numbers that she attains whatever the Shakers call nirvana, and the film does too: a symbiosis between sound, word and image that genuinely, movingly captures humanity’s desperate reach for the divine. Rowlson-Hall’s ecstatic, thrusting dance direction may take its inspiration from the original Shaking Quaker moves, but it wittily comes to resemble a kind of deconstructed sexual in*******se — a pursuit of bliss, in whatever form, echoed by starkly repeated, incantatory lyrics about “hunger and thirst,” “building and growing,” “loving mother, loving her way.” “The Testament of Ann Lee” is rich in agnostic questioning and bemused human interest, but at such radiant peaks, Fastvold makes believers of us all.

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‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ Review: Amanda Seyfried Shakes, Battles and Extols in an Arresting Religious Biopic Guy LodgeSeptember 1, 2025 at 10:00 PM Courtesy of Charades Those of us who first understood Shakerism not as a religious movement but as a mailorder furniture company — like a partic...

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