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Carrie Coon & Lily James Humanized Cult Member And Leader In Guy Nattiv’s ‘The Liberation’ – Contenders L.A.
Carrie Coon and Lily James said they aimed to portray the women in Guy Nattiv’s cult thriller *The Liberation* with empathy and complexity, rather than making its leader a simple villain. The film matters personally to Nattiv: it draws on his grandmother’s experience of finding renewed happiness in a group, before money disappeared and she was urged to leave her husband.
Coon plays Rita, an unhappy woman drawn to Ricki King, played by James, who mentors her and eventually persuades her to give up money and divorce her husband. Nattiv said he later questioned the cult leader, who expelled him; Coon also studied her grandmother’s Holocaust survivor testimonies to portray Rita’s past with care. The film is due an Oscar-qualifying theatrical run this year and opens on 8 January.
In short
- Coon and James sought to humanise both women.
- The story draws on director Guy Nattiv’s grandmother.
- The film opens on 8 January.
Explained simply
The Liberation is a drama inspired by director Guy Nattiv’s family history. His grandmother, a Holocaust survivor, joined a group that seemed to offer her a happier life, but later lost access to her money and was encouraged to leave her husband.
Carrie Coon plays Rita, a woman unhappy with her life who is drawn to Ricki King, the group’s leader, played by Lily James. As Rita grows closer to Ricki, she gives up her money and separates from her husband. The story explores how a promise of freedom can become bound up with dependence on a group and its leader.
Nattiv’s family connection shaped the film, and the actors have said they wanted to portray both women with care and complexity. That approach matters because the story asks how people seeking change can be influenced by someone offering belonging and a fresh start.