Mariette in Ecstasy (1996): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1996, Mariette in Ecstasy is a drama film directed by John Bailey, running about 86 minutes.

What it’s about. In this forceful study of religious passion an extraordinary spiritual experience is placed in the center of a deftly evoked natural world, namely, rural upstate New York just after the turn of the century. At summer's end, when she is 17, Mariette Baptiste, educated daughter of the local doctor, enters the cloistered convent of Our Lady of the Afflictions as a postulant. Her religious fervor, understated but determined, makes an impact on the small community of nuns whose days and nights are measured in a round of prayer and farm work changing only with the seasons. Their ordered life is disrupted, however, as Mariette begins to fall into a series of trances from which she awakens with stigmata, which heal as spontaneously as they appear. The feelings of skepticism, jealousy and adoration evoked in the nuns, Mariette's own response and that of the Mother Superior are delicately, indelibly presented.

Who’s in it. Mariette in Ecstasy stars Geraldine O'Rawe as Mariette Baptiste, Alex Appel as Sister Philomene, John Mahoney as Dr. Claude Baptiste and Mary McDonnell as Prioress, among others.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Mariette in Ecstasy page.

If you liked it. Fans of Mariette in Ecstasy tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.