A Sacrifice Review
When people think of elements that render a film terrifying, they usually go to jump scares, gore, or the supernatural. A Sacrifice, from writer and director Jordan Scott, however, does not feature any of those, yet it still elicits fear. It reminds us that some of the scariest entities in society are in fact people. It’s also a cautionary exploration into the subtle ways our vulnerabilities and insecurities can be taken advantage of.
Adapted from Nicholas Hogg’s 2015 novel Tokyo, A Sacrifice follows American social psychologist Ben Monroe (Eric Bana) working in Berlin as he helps an investigation on a cult that might be connected to recent a recent mass suicide. It is both interesting and necessary that Ben specializes in social psychology which studies the ways individuals are influenced by social groups. Ben’s last published book studied loneliness and how social environments play important roles in mitigating isolation. He concluded then that being part of some kind of community is integral.
Now, Ben begins to look at social groups in a different light as he asks himself: what happens when an extreme sense of community is just a mask for control? When Ben is invited to the crime scene that leads him to believe a cult was involved, it is there he meets investigator Nina (Sylvia Hoeks), who begins to theorize the meaning behind the mass suicide; that they perhaps felt they were performing these acts as part of a greater good (so, basically, a cult).
While Ben is busy at the scene, he forgets to pick up his daughter Mazzy (Sadie Sink) who will be doing a semester of school in Berlin and stay with him for the duration. We find out that Ben is divorced and has not seen his daughter in a little while since taking on a new role in a new country. This is therefore an opportunity for them to bond, explore the city together, and reconnect. But this doesn’t happen. Ben becomes so invested in solving the case that Mazzy is pretty much always on her own.
When Ben tells Mazzy he can’t come pick her up from the airport when she first arrives in Berlin, she is forced to navigate the public transit system on her own. It is here she meets Martin (Jonas Dassler) who offers to help her with directions. They end up exchanging phone numbers and she is grateful for the new friend she’s made in a new country.
As Ben begins to spend more time with Nina, Mazzy feels hurt that her father is excluding her from his life and begins to hang out more with Martin. Martin soon introduces Mazzy to Hilma (Sophie Rois), the leader of the cult that Ben is unknowingly investigating. Of course, Martin and Hilma present their community center as a place where people can connect with others, take part in activism, all for the sake of group solidarity.
Hilma is truly a terrifying character, and Sophie Rois was an excellent casting choice for the role. Hilma’s calmness, openness, and compassion are just what Mazzy were missing from her own life, and she finds herself drawn towards Hilma and the center. But as we learn, Hilma has sinister motivations behind her “cause.”
While Martin is the one who introduces Mazzy to Hilma and the center, he at this point is completely conditioned to do everything Hilma instructs him to. Martin is currently mourning the loss of his grandmother, increasing his vulnerability and sense of loneliness. He will do anything to please Hilma in order to feel accepted by her and the others.
There are parts of the movie that will feel predictable at times, but the story as a whole is an important lesson in the ways humans can easily be preyed upon by others. With the ever-growing digital media landscape, we need to be vigilant of the subtle red flags.
A Sacrifice comes to theaters Friday, June 28.
Rating
★★★★☆
Check out Popternative’s interview with A Sacrifice stars Sadie Sink and Eric Bana below.
_