‘Novitiate’ Trailer: Margaret Qualley Gives a Revelatory Performance in This Indie Religious Drama

If you’re a fan of HBO’s “The Leftovers,” then you definitely are familiar with Margaret Qualley. The 22-year-old actress spent three seasons as Jill Garvey, the angsty teenage daughter of Justin Theroux’s character, but Qualley is about to become a major indie breakthrough with the upcoming release of “Novitiate.”

Marking the feature debut of Margaret Betts, the movie premiered to acclaim at Sundance earlier this year, where IndieWire raved, “Despite its 123-minute runtime, the film is impeccably edited and packed with such rich storytelling that it never lags. The film is Betts’ feature-length narrative debut and it’s a strong vehicle for showing off her formidable talents.”

“Novitiate” stars Qualley as Cathleen, a starry-eyed teenager who is training to become a nun. Her allegiance and faith are tested under the stern eye of Melissa Leo‘s Reverend Mother. Morgan Saylor and Dianna Agron play Cathlee’s fellow nuns in training, all three of which quickly learn the position is now they expected. Julianne Nicholson, Liana Liberato, and Denis O’Hare co-star.

Sony Pictures Classics will release “Novitiate” in theaters October 27. Watch the first trailer below.