I usually don't write reviews of movies, mostly because I hate feeding into the negativity culture that surrounds pop culture these days. But this one is one that I expected to really enjoy and I found it very disappointing. I am a big fan of the current crop of young filmmakers, and I have loved everything from Ti West that I have seen up until this one.
The problem for me is that the premise is so strongly rooted in the real tragedy of Jonestown that the film comes off as a historical fictionalization. Names are changed, a few new fictional characters are added to the real event, and off it goes. When it's done well, this format can be amazing - I'm looking at you, Saving Private Ryan - but when it fails to add any compelling insights or introduce viewers to something unknown, obscured, or forgotten about the historical event, it feels empty. And "Sacrament" felt empty to me.
The thing that probably bothered me the most about was that it literally minimized and therefore trivialized the enormity of the actual event. Likely for budgetary reasons and casting, the story here involves a commune of 167 people - Jonestown's toll was over 900. In this story, the protagonists are the catalyst for the meltdown of the commune, but they are a single reporter, a cameraman, and a family member of one of the cult members. In real life, a US Senator, his entourage, and representatives from major news outlets and networks were under attack. Again - minimizing the actual story. Then, there is no insight into the tragedy beyond what is known and familiar to anyone who has seen a History Channel program or the Powers Boothe TV movie on Jonestown.
So - smaller commune, lower stakes (a pair of reality TV makers vs a US Senate delegation) and use of a well known and well documented tragedy with no furtherance of understanding or insight on the event itself. Disappointing.
Prime Video
The Sacrament
Two journalists track a friend's estranged sister to the remote world of "Eden Parish," a rural utopia overseen by a mysterious leader known only as "Father." It quickly becomes evident to the newcomers that this paradise may not be as it seems.
By ordering or viewing, you agree to our Terms. Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC.
Customers who watched this item also watched
More details
Customer reviews
Top reviews from other countries
Mikael Belcic
The film's plot is based on the real-life events of the Jonestown Massacre of 1978
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 28, 2020Verified Purchase
mr dinosaur
The Horror....
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 24, 2014Verified Purchase
liam gittoes
Buy it and see
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 31, 2014Verified Purchase
Christian Hearn
Good
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 22, 2018Verified Purchase
Porter . literature historian.....and film buff.
Good film.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 17, 2017Verified Purchase
