‘A Sacrifice’ Review – Don’t Sacrifice Your Time With This Film About A Cult

A less-than-stirring blend of cult dynamics and parent-child relationships unfolds in the film A Sacrifice. Starring Eric Bana and Sadie Sink, the film demands a sacrifice of time and patience. While it hints at a compelling story, particularly one exploring the influence and dark intrigue of a cult, it fails to maintain its momentum. The film’s multiple storylines and lack of a central narrative focus hinder audience engagement. Despite its overt attempt to create a sense of unease, the film falls short of being truly scary or thrilling. It’s a lackluster journey that underutilizes the talents of its lead actors in favor of cliché and banality.

A Sacrifice positions itself as an intense race-against-the-clock film. It begins with social psychologist Ben Monroe (Eric Bana) recently moving to Berlin. He investigates a local cult’s connection to a series of disturbing events. At the same time, his daughter Mazzy (Sadie Sinks) agrees to spend the semester in Germany with him. Through her interactions with a local, Martin (Jonas Dassler), she becomes ensnared in the trappings of this mysterious cult led by its leader, Hilma (Sophie Rois). The film meanders for the first hour, showing hints of this cult, which is never adequately explained. Other than oblique reasons for its members looking to sacrifice themselves for the good of the planet. 

Much of the first hour devotes itself to Mazzy’s daily life and Ben’s investigation of the strange happenings around Berlin. The film wastes the potential of both Bana and Sink. They are excellent actors, but their characters, sadly, are thin sketches. There are hues of a strained father/daughter relationship, but the film never bothers to punch beyond the cliches. Trouble at home and a workaholic dad are familiar story beats that stay true to form during this ritual-filled outing. There is also never a valid justification for why Mazzy becomes so involved with the cult other than the story requires her to do so. This underutilization of the lead actors is a disappointing aspect of the film.

A Sacrifice requires the audience to take a leap of faith, including the third-act twist. The film runs on two parallel tracks, with Ben’s work and Mazzy’s involvement in the cult ultimately intersecting. There is little subtlety, and it will land with a displeasing whimper. The dialogue is heavy-handed, and the performance becomes over-the-top, particularly in the final confrontation between Ben and Hilma.

The film becomes an effort in clock watching even as some characters make the ultimate sacrifice. The reasons for the cult are hazy, contributing to a diminishing intensity. Here, even the human sacrifice moments have no gut punch. By the end, there is little fanfare or surprise, but instead, an abrupt and unsatisfying cliffhanger.

It is a pity because the film showcases beautiful cinematography and an eerie score to create a chilling atmosphere. However, the reliance on cliché is where the film falls short. It feels too on the nose, from the white robes to the typical charismatic cult leader. Finally, in the last half-hour, the film gains some lost momentum, and Ben must race against time to rescue his daughter from the cult’s clutches. However, it may come across as too little too late, with the film seeming to be two different movies squeezed into one. 

A Sacrifice attempts to emulate Midsommar and similar films but lacks the identity to become something highly original. A movie like that is creepy and compelling, not only because of the subject matter but also because the characters are complex. Here, there is no convincing momentum and richly developed characters for the ends to justify the means.

A Sacrifice will debut in theaters on June 28, 2024, courtesy of Vertical Entertainment.