Content Disclaimer: This article contains references to widespread sexual assault depicted in the film “Women Talking”.

Do not do anything. Stay and fight. Or leave. These are the three choices facing the women of “Women Talking”. Based on a true story, writer-director Sarah Polley’s new film tells the story of women in a fictional Mennonite colony who learn that some men in the community have been secretly drugging and assaulting them at night for years. When a woman woke up confused, in pain or bleeding, the men would tell her that she had been attacked by devils or demons. At the start of the film, the women finally learn the truth. The police arrest the eight men responsible, and when almost all the men in the settlement go to town to bail them out, the women must decide what to do, leaving them with three choices.

The film follows some of the women as they try to make a decision for all the women in the colony, talking about all the implications and the problems inherent in each. In this exclusive clip from the film, Greta (Sheila McCarthy) shares the story of her horses, Ruth and Cheryl, as she pleads for the women to finally go. When horses see something dangerous, they run. But Agata (Judith Ivey) emphasizes that women are not animals. “We were preyed upon like animals,” Greta replies. “Maybe we should react like animals.”

But Salomé (Claire Foy) is furiously and justly angry at what happened and the idea that they should be running instead of defending themselves. “I’d rather stand my ground and shoot every man in the heart and bury him in a pit than run,” she said. The clip touches on all the tricky territory the film covers and how hard it is to find consensus in the face of widespread trauma, abuse and fear.

“Women Talking” also stars Rooney Mara, Jessie Buckley, Ben Whishaw, Frances McDormand, Michelle McLeod, Kate Hallett, Liv McNeil, Emily Mitchell, Kira Guloien, Shayla Brown and August Winter. The set is nominated for Best Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the 2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards, and Polley’s screenplay was nominated for a Golden Globe, as was composer Hildur Gudnadóttir’s score. “Women Talking” is also nominated for six awards at the upcoming Critics’ Choice Awards, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress for Buckley.

“Women Talking” is in select theaters now and will be everywhere on January 27.

If you or a loved one is sexually assaulted, know that help is there. To speak to someone trained to help victims of sexual violence, call the 24/7 National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.