Meadowlark

Abrams (Playing) examines the fractured childhoods and divergent paths of two cult survivors in this tense and graceful tale. Simrin ran away from the controlling, “Eastern-leaning ashram” Ananda in California when she was 15, with Arjun, the community’s golden boy, “just a bit more equal than the rest.” Now, in her mid-30s and living in San Francisco with a five-year-old daughter, Simrin has found success as a photographer by documenting such hidden worlds as Wiccan covens. Arjun, now going by Aaron, begs Simrin to take photos of Meadowlark, the community he founded in rural Nevada as a less structured “anti-Ananda” of “like-minded folks committed to helping children know and grow into their truth.” Aaron hopes earnest photos by an outsider will discredit recent reports of child abuse at Meadowlark and growing tension with police. Aaron’s wife, Bethany, a former child star who bankrolled the community’s construction, thinks Aaron’s plan is a bad idea. Over two days, a police standoff ensues, and Simrin and Bethany fret over Aaron’s intensifying conviction that his group is special and world changing, and should not be interfered with. Abrams cycles through the perspectives of Simrin, Bethany, and Aaron’s 11-year-old daughter, Juniper, each grappling with their broken childhoods and the allure of Aaron despite his controlling righteousness. This alarming portrayal of misguided good intentions and parental zealotry will linger with readers. Agent: Sarah Fuentes, Fletcher and Company. (Apr.)