Roman Gavras’s Sacrifice scores 27% on Rotten Tomatoes
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, Roman Gavras’s film Sacrifice has received many negative reviews after several screenings at the Toronto Festival. Gavras had impressed critics with his bold film Athena, which premiered at the Venice Festival in 2022, but his latest work, starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Evans, bears little resemblance to that film—at least in the eyes of critics—and so far has earned a 27% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Sacrifice tells the story of Jeanne, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, who, following a prophecy, believes she is destined to save the world from a volcanic eruption by throwing a handful of celebrities into it as sacrifices. She gathers her followers into a paramilitary group and, after attacking a charity gala, takes three hostages: a movie star named Mike Tyler (Chris Evans), the richest man in the world (Vincent Cassel), and a hapless woman named Kitty (Ambika Mod). They journey through fire until Mike faces the ultimate question: what is he willing to sacrifice for humanity?
A critic for Screen writes: “Gavras builds suspense on whether Jeanne’s proclamation is true or not, but ultimately the screenplay bows to sweeping generalities about satirical aims.”
The Guardian gave the film two out of five stars, writing that Sacrifice toys with fame before it “falls into the volcano”: “But Gavras abandons us and his actors in his unconventional ending. Even before we gaze into the volcano, Sacrifice has collapsed.”
IndieWire writes: “Gavras targets a culture more interested in telling a glorious story about itself than in making the world a better place, and Sacrifice—to its credit—is determined to engage with that rupture on a fundamental level.”
The Hollywood Reporter writes: “Sacrifice asks its audience to truly reflect on the weight of its title… but it offers no convincing argument. Instead, it is an act that fancies itself radical but tragically fails to motivate any action.”
