Sacrifice follows Mike Tyler (Chris Evans), a world famous actor who has had a few bad PR incidents and his career is on a downward trajectory. To help reestablish himself as an important figure, he attends a charity event in a large mine in Europe. At this event though, a radical eco youth cult led by Joan (Anya Taylor Joy) storms the building, taking hostages who they say need to be sacrificed in order to prevent an earth-ending event.
Director Romain Gavras does expand the ambition of his set pieces compared to his last film, Athena. The film has epic and immersive locations in the forest, the giant mine of marble as well as a volcano that looks menacing. He does tone down the flair in his visual choices and, while there is not an absent of pyrotechnics, the unique shots and long takes of Athena are absent, giving more space for Chris Evans and Anya Taylor Joy to deliver excellent acting moments. Chris Evans, in particular, as this lost, less than academic actor is quite funny. In his quest to be important and to matter again, he constantly makes a fool of himself. He begins to doubt whether being an actor is even a worthy form of work and that sends his character on a hilarious (but also dark journey) of self-discovery. Anya Taylor Joy contrasts him for most of the film as the leader of a group who know exactly how to serve their purpose, her more serious demeanour and apparent passion for her cause works well with Evans.
The ultimate problem with the film is in the story. While Gavras has many funny and interesting satirical elements these don’t always mesh with the characters journey. There isn’t enough done for us to believe in Chris Evans journey of self discovery as it clashes with the more epic and bold statement this film seems to have on wealth, environmental activism and the human purpose.
Sacrifice is playing at TIFF ’25. For more information, click here.
