The Sacrament (2013) User Reviews

Don't Look Away

[MrsTheFrog · 7/10 · 19 April 2023]

I was born in 83, so anything I know of Jonestown has been gleaned from podcasts, documentaries, or anniversary television broadcasts. Even that is much more than some.

And that's how it works, right? As much as we hate to admit it, as time moves on, everything (and I do mean *everything*) fades from memory. Go ahead and ask a 16 yr old nowadays who Jim Jones or David Koresh were - I bet they'll roll their eyes and assume you're talking about an 80s rock band lead. That fading and moving on of time is exactly why the remake/prequel/sequel/reboot industry is a thing of the Millennial age that never was before.

In order for history (good, bad, or indifferent) to continue to be passed along, the stories have to be retold and reincarnated in ways that are more appealing to those who come after. So maybe The Sacrament doesn't come right out and say, "Hey, we remade Guyana," but I sincerely doubt any of the filmmakers involved thought that viewers of the right age were going to mistake the story for anything else. Another movie that tells a variation of Jonestown without acknowledging it is "The Veil" btw.

As far as found footage films go, this one is high quality cinematography-wise. I thought the casting was actually fairly impressive, and despite knowing exactly where the story was headed, I did find the second half hard to watch; it did give me insight into Jonestown in a way that was truly shocking.

Worth a watch. Won't blow your mind, or bring home an Oscar, but Ti West is always hit or miss with me (mostly miss) and this one wasn't too bad. If you would rather see Jonestown through a less modern, less horror-genre lens, then by all means, go watch the stuff made in the 80s.

"This is the last sacrament."

[bigmystery23 · 7/10 · 29 April 2014]

Most people seem to dislike the "found-footage" genre, though I personal like to see what stories filmmakers can create and develop it as a found-footage (mostly horror). I did like the first 3 installments of "Paranormal Activity," I absolutely loved "Cloverfield," and "The Blair Witch Project" did scare me. Thus, if you found more than one of these repulsive, ignore my review. I will also warn that this is obviously not a movie for everyone. After watching this movie, I can say that I came out very disturbed and mortified, which was Ti West's intentions (I presume). The whole film feels very real, and I did enjoy Gene Jones and Amy Seimitz's terrifyingly surreal acting. Most people will see this movie knowing how it'll end since it's based on the Jonestown massacre (don't look this up if you don't know it!!!), but that doesn't mean there weren't other aspects of the movie that weren't entertaining. For what the movie is about, I was surprised to still be jumping in my seat and breathing heavily at moments of great suspense. My only complaints about the film were some of the choices Ti West chose to move the story (those moments where the audience knows they are doing something very stupid and it feels unrealistic that they would do that to begin with). Some criticism I've heard is that it takes forever to get to the "good" parts. I'm going to argue that that is false criticism unless you are only looking to watch a 95 minute movie filled with terror and suspense. Yes, the first half of the movie doesn't have very much suspense, but there is still a chilling mood creeping up every minute. Plus, the chemistry between the actors is great and entertaining!

A predictable, creepy found-footage romp that is a cut above many.

[lnvicta · 6/10 · 10 June 2016]

The Sacrament is a fairly straightforward movie. It's about a group of guys who are part of a documentary film group and one of the guys' sister moves into an isolated commune and the film crew wants to know the full scoop. You'll know exactly where this movie is going as it progresses, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It gives a chance for director Ti West to establish some character background and vague insights into the religious group while slowly turning the creep dial up until the movie's climax. The acting is good across the board, the standout being the Father (Gene Jones) who is suitably charismatic as the cult's ominous leader. For a found-footage movie it's shot well, but of course there are the typical issues that come with the turf - impossible angles, how the footage was even found - but these are things you'd know going in. The movie itself is a well executed, suspenseful slow burn.

The biggest fault in The Sacrament is its predictability. Again, it's not a bad thing, we just know what's coming at every turn. Creepy cult, innocent people poking their noses in places they don't belong, an underlying dark scheme that slowly unravels to the protagonists. If that kind of stuff interests you and you're willing to forgive the tropes that come with the genre, The Sacrament is a worthwhile watch.

Ti West does a good job with found footage

[victoryismineblast · 7/10 · 8 May 2014]

Ti West's latest horror opus has the viewer following a man going to visit his sister at a remotely hidden commune with 2 internet documentarians in tow to film and follow the story. It turns out to be more of a cult though ruled by an enigmatic leader named Father who seems to have a tight hold over his flock.

It doesn't take long before they realize things aren't exactly as they seem as they are drawn into the horror surrounding Eden Parish.

Many comparisons to real life cult situations of the past are being drawn here in a lot of other reviews and comments which kind of give the ending of the movie away, maybe aptly so, but it really just plays out like a horror movie. A.J. Bowen plays a different kind of role than he's used to and does a great job of it.

Fun cult movie has West moving in a new direction and he does a good job of it. There is quite a bit more action than his previous 2 films as the action moves along at a fairly steady pace. The soundtrack throughout the latter half of the movie detracts a little from the found footage experience as it takes a bit of the reality out of the situation.

Ti West rocks in this chiller... Superb!

[fahadkashmiri7 · 7/10 · 8 June 2014]

Well.. We all know what an amazing talent this guy Ti West is. 33 years of age and he has done almost everything a film maker dreams of. Actor, director, producer, screen writer and what not. But lately he has been in dumps mainly because of some sloppily made films (Cabin fever 2, The Innkeepers, The A,B,C.s of death) but with The Sacrament he's back with a bang. And now lets come to the story.. Yes it is based on Jonestown Murders, which in itself is a spine chilling incident and to portray that on celluloid with such realism is in itself an achievement. Performance wise AJ Bowen and Amy Seimetz rocked but the way Gene Jones carried himself in that devilish character of a "father" is simply astonishing. Good one for a surprise thriller. My vote 7 out of 10.

Starts promising, completely falls apart in second half

[PhoenixRising1980 · 4/10 · 2 May 2014]

What starts out as a promising look into a religious cult, quickly turns into a jumbled mess of incoherent storytelling, baffling motivations, and annoying camera work.

The problem is none of the characters are well rounded or defined beyond the absolute basics (and they do incredibly stupid things throughout the film, especially in the second half). So when things start going bad, it's hard to care. The film seems to want to offer a deep, nuanced look into the world of cults, but West doesn't seem to be able to paint anyone with more than a primary colored brush. Everyone is a caricature ...especially "Father", who is little more than a mouthpiece for religious mumbo jumbo.

The decision to make this found footage becomes the film's biggest flaw, as the extremely limited use of the camera gives every scene a flat incomplete feeling, totally stripping the film of any gravitas or meaning. Found footage has become a lazy, tired cliché in the horror genre and West is no where near talented enough to make it work. West is quickly becoming a hackneyed presence in the world of horror, and it's a mystery why people make such a big deal of him.

And I am wondering where the hell the $4 Million budget went, since the cinematography is bare bones, we're only ever in a single location, and there are no explosions or huge actions scenes. I mean you could've made this for less than a million dollars and it would've been exactly the same movie.

All in all a disappointing film.

Heavily Inspired by Jonestown Massacre

[MDCarver1980 · 7/10 · 22 October 2021]

I feel like they wanted to tell the Jonestown story but for some reason had to make it fictional... but this is Jonestown through and through... there is a really good scene when Sam does an "Interview" with Father and it is excellently done .... Well written and well acted, that scene .... It fell apart after that to hop skip and jump to the Big Jonestown stuff and from that point it's just a reenactment of any documentary you've seen about it.

A complex and satisfying psychological thriller.

[robfollower · 7/10 · 10 May 2019]

"The Sacrament" builds up its suspense by slowly revealing things are not as perfect as they seem in the little community known as Eden's Parish. While it may be a bit too slow for some, The Sacrament offers enough tense atmosphere and intriguing ideas to satisfy discerning horror buffs. A complex and satisfying psychological thriller. Free on TUBI

Cultural

[PedroPires90 · 6/10 · 18 March 2022]

So...it is much harder for an European to imagine a lot of this as plausible than for an American. Yes, I know what inspired this. However, it was a long time ago, even if I know that nowadays the cults are still strong in America, which is very rare in almost every other developed country. I think that susceptibility from Americans to cults (probably based on their extreme beliefs in religious elements, which usually are not that common anymore in developed countries) makes this a much more terrifying experience for them, while most of us will see it as "oh c'mon, can't you see the red flags?", "c'mon, do you really believe in heaven and that it is the way to go there?" Or "why the hell would you let a white old man decides your death and future"...

Having said that...the film is mostly good, tense and effective. It's well constructed, with a good build-up, good acting and you feel something in the air even when nothing is happening. I've some issues with the found-footage elements (yeah right, you are running away from cold killers with your camera in your hand to slow you down) and with the stupidy of some characters (not only the cult members, but...that guy coming back to the place after seeing armed security officers trying to kill him??? And screaming while there are killers around looking for survivors? Jeez...). Nonetheless, I can say more good than bad about this.

Cult Status?

[NotAnotherMovieCritic · 6/10 · 2 November 2014]

When it comes to the new sub-genre, found film footage's this one does what a lot of them don't do. It takes us into a remote location where we see a fictional crazy Christian cult. One of the character's sister is involved in the cult, which is what brings our protagonists to their current location.

At first everything seems great, the people are happy but there is somehow a darkness you can't quite put your finger on. Producer Eli Roth is very good at doing this when it comes to his films, but so does a little corniness, but thankfully he's not the director so his corniness is not seen in this film.

But with his name being attached you do sort of hope to see a lot of violence and gore, something this film was lacking. It was sort of a more realistic view on cults, nothing like we saw in Kevin Smith's Red State. This is one is a little bit more subtle, but that's what makes it way more disturbing in my eyes. The final scenes are very intense in what kept me at the edge of my seat. The ending isn't what you normally get in these types of films and that is always refreshing.

As of this review this film is currently on Netflix and I highly recommend it to those who want to watch something scary and something a little different in terms of horror.

Jonestown

[Foutainoflife · 5/10 · 18 December 2018]

This was an almost exact telling of the Jonestown Massacre. The only differences were the date because it was present day, a film crew came with a parishioners relative rather than a congressman and there were not as many victims.

Entertaining

[omarcantbestopped · 8/10 · 11 February 2021]

One of the best cult movies made. Sad story, plot based on the accounts that happened in Jonestown. Waco is the best miniseries made of similar account.

Great build up, credible story, obvious fake blood & poor ending -sadly. Give it a shot.

[george-eu · 7/10 · 22 April 2015]

I've seen people mentioning the Jonestown Mass murder and how close the events in this movie are to that. I personally wasn't aware of it but after watching the movie I've documented myself about it and yes... if you've heard about Jonestown, then watching this movie is just a fictional visual representation of what happened there. Sorry.

Regadless, the case was interesting and the movie will most likely get a grip on most people as it makes you more and more curious towards what's really going on. As I've mentioned in the title, the story was credible, the tension building up was also there and done right and from the moment they get to Eden Parish (the community where the events in the movie take place) until things went haywire, you just feel there's something extremely eerie and sketchy about it all. The acting was pretty much great, the guy who was supposed to be the interviewer (AJ Bowen) really had this VICE interviewer personality, the Father (antagonist) was also astonishing both in acting and speaking and mostly every other smaller actor in the movie felt like professionals. Everyone BUT Joe Swanberg (the camera guy). I have nothing against him personally, I do not know him, but you will also probably notice what I'm talking about by the end of the movie. It might be the script too, but I personally found he's acting bad enough.

By the end of the movie you'll feel pretty angry with the events and if you're 'lucky' to know about Jonestown too, seeing this on screen will make you become even more upset knowing that such things actually happened. Great small flick, definitely worth giving a shot. I only hoped the ending was a bit more elaborate and intelligent.

Just Ripping Off What's....

[respondtome · 3/10 · 27 October 2016]

Already out there that stands as legitimate information. Try reading "Raven,"try viewing a quality documentary and understanding the historical context from which this "movie" came from. I'm sorry but people really died in this horrible ordeal and it clearly wasn't a film. Sometimes spending 4m on a project is just a bad idea outside giving work to actors and film crews. It's not a mystery that opening weekend seemed to bring in less than $550 USD. This effort would have been better served by the creators simply retelling the original story perhaps from a different view point. I thought it was in poor taste to put up that 167 lives were lost and that only two survived. Try over 900 with no movie stars involved. 3/10 was for how things looked at the outset. Don't pay any money for this.

Opened my eyes...

[Red_Identity · 31 July 2014]

This is definitely watchable, mostly well acted, well shot and has some decent thrills. After watching it though, I became aware of Jonestown, and the film seems like it really was exactly the Jonestown incident. It opened my eyes to the real event, which is pretty shocking and downright awful, so in that way I'm glad I saw this. I cannot imagine what went through these people's heads, and I think the film is definitely faithful as to the real events (besides a few things, of course) and I am so surprised that it doesn't have the header "based on" since it really is a retelling of it. Overall, I recommend it, but it's no The House of the Devil or The Innkeepers

Surprisingly good

[JackSparrow92 · 7/10 · 21 November 2014]

While not the greatest movie I've ever seen, I was quite impressed with this movie. I tend to enjoy the found footage genre so that made it easier to appreciate. The acting was a bit shaky in parts, but certainly not to the extent of ruining the movie. And I found the climax of the film (the mass suicide) to be pretty chilling.

Gene Jones, in particular, gave an excellent performance. My first thought on seeing him was "good lord, they're following THAT ugly bugger? Don't messianic figures usually need at least SOME degree of physical charisma? How realistic is this?" But there was something in his delivery of his sermons that was powerful, even convincing on a surface level.

Yes, I know the whole thing is massively cribbed from the actual Jonestown massacre, but that doesn't stop this from being quite an effective thriller flick.

needed a better finish

[paudiemaguire · 6/10 · 13 August 2014]

okay it started great another Ti West slow burn movie and very interesting I liked that it was a different take on found footage type movies that are being shitted out these days by lazy "film makers" thought the acting was good especially by the guy who played father just a pity the second half of the film went down hill.

I don't understand if its supposed to be found footage why were they so many different camera angles going on i mean there was only supposed to be 2 cameras, it was very notable towards the end but that not the only problem the ending felt pointless left a lot of plot holes and unanswered questions Also i think they could have replaced vice with an actual TV documentary crew it would have been a lot more believable.

Other than that i liked the hole creepy tone and the weirdness of it same as every other Ti West movie I just hope he gets better scripts and bigger budgets to work with in future because I know he's capable of better.

Why?

[manbytsdog · 3/10 · 8 August 2014]

Without revealing too much of the plot, suffice to say this is a reimagining of an actual event.

No idea why other than to introduce the event to a young audience, but who understands the logic of why some films are made? And why the storyline was altered to make it appeal to that younger demographic.

The reality is that the actual event is even more horrific than this film, despite some of the graphic footage you are subjected to here.

I guess the idea was something like a mashup of The Blair Witch Project with the substantive portions of the actual event was the elevator pitch, but for anyone who is familiar with the actual event, this film will simply bore you to distraction until the inevitable happens.

Fun bad movie!!!

[ivann_1987 · 7/10 · 20 June 2020]

Fun movie, not scary and full of bad acting and bad scenes, but so much fun. I loved it

Lacking in subtlety. but long on ambition

[nick94965 · 4/10 · 12 November 2013]

This is basically a re-telling of the Jonestown Massacre, which, if anyone doesn't know, is a real event that happened in the late 1970's, when a megalomaniac by the name of Jim Jones brought several hundred members of a religious group called the People's Temple to a remote jungle location in Guyana.

After a small cadre of politicians arrived by a small private plane to respond to several requests from disillusioned members of the congregation, there suddenly was a desperate stampede by a number of the group to leave the compound. Jim Jones then ordered the guards to shoot the members who were attempting to leave, and gave the entire crowd each a cup of kool-aid laced with cyanide in a mass suicide.

The event was forgotten for many years, and has been dramatized in this film, which takes the original story and hams it up for the camera, by taking the stance of a "reality" show approach to the filming.

Unfortunately, the experiment fails to generate the sense of reality that the filmmakers were attempting to capture, and the feeling is much more forced rather than coming from a real event. Although it was a reasonably noble attempt to make a notorious situation somehow believable, by it's very nature, it is doomed. It would have been much more believable if the film were just shot as a normal film would be, without the extra layer of a "found footage" project.

Since the camera is always supposed to be running, there are moments in the film in which the actors have to look directly into the lens and explain that the camera is going to keep running "so that there is a record of whatever happens," which completely destroys any sense of the reality of the moment -- the idea of deliberately having a camera in someone's hand in each scene is so unbearably false that the viewer is immediately left wondering why on earth they even thought this technique would help to make the story seem "real." In fact, it does the exact opposite.

The use of the hand-held 'shaky cam' in almost every scene is utterly unmotivated -- in what would be the climax of the movie, the camera is so ridiculously present that it almost seems like SNL decided to take the idea and turn it into one of Andy Samberg's sarcastic short films, because they have used such a heavy-handed approach to the material.

In telling the story of Jonestown, nothing would have been needed other than to have just told the story as it unfolded without the addition of this added layer of "reality" -- and it would have been a much more superior film. This, sadly, destroys any chance of that happening.

The story of the People's Temple deserves better treatment than this, and, given a more experienced filmmaker, would have had a much deeper impact. I regret that we have lost that opportunity now, having seen this approach fail.

Ti West is a talented horror filmmaker but he has yet to prove himself as a really good one.

[Hellmant · 7/10 · 18 June 2014]

'THE SACRAMENT': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

A found footage horror flick (from filmmaker Ti West) about a news team investigating a mysterious commune, ran by an extremist cult leader. West directed the film and wrote the screenplay; which is largely inspired by the events of the 1978 Jonestown Massacre. It stars Joe Swanberg, AJ Bowen, Gene Jones, Kentucker Audley and Amy Seimetz. A lot of the main cast has worked together in other horror movies (like 'YOU'RE NEXT', which West also acted in). Swanberg is also a film writer and director; who's appeared in multiple movies helmed by West, and vice versa (like 'V/H/S' and 'DRINKING BUDDIES'). One of the producers of this film is horror master Eli Roth (it might be interesting to note that Roth directed and co-wrote 'CABIN FEVER' and West directed and co-wrote it's first sequel). Despite all the talent involved 'THE SACRAMENT' isn't anything special, it does have it's moments though.

The movie follows a news-reporter and cameraman, named Sam (Bowen) and Jake (Swanberg), who work for the VICE network; doing immersion journalism. When a freelance fashion photographer (they sometimes work with) named Patrick (Audley), tells them about his missing sister, Caroline (Seimetz), they're intrigued. Sam and Jake decide to travel with Patrick to meet his sister, after he receives word from her (that she's living in a religious commune somewhere outside the US). The people of the cult there seem happy and peaceful (at first) but the newsteam quickly realizes that things aren't exactly as they appear. They document their entire adventure with a news camera and a video cell phone (that Patrick brings with him).

I thought the movie was effectively creepy and intense; it's slow paced for the first two-thirds (of it's story) but there's always a disturbing sense of danger and the end is fittingly shocking and gruesome. A lot of the movie is setup but it did a good job of keeping me interested and curious about what would happen next. I think there was potential for a much better film here though. I think West is a talented horror filmmaker but he has yet to prove himself as a really good one. The problem I had most with this movie is that it doesn't explain why people are doing the things they're doing at all; besides the cult leader (who's very well played by Jones), none of the characters are developed well at all. It does seem like you're watching a lot of random video, put together, of events that are never fully explained (and a lot of it seems almost exactly like the true life events that inspired it). West, disappointingly, doesn't explore why those events happened or take any creative liberty with them. Still the film is interesting and entertaining enough to sit through.

Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://youtu.be/tlKg1V_0fqE

Ti West Keeps On Rolling

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 20 October 2014]

A news team trails a man (Kentucker Audley) as he travels to an undisclosed location to find his missing sister (Amy Seimetz). Upon entering "Eden Parish" and meeting the community's leader (Gene Jones), it becomes apparent to the newcomers that this paradise may not be as it seems.

Amy Seimetz ("You're Next") is perhaps the strongest actor in the film. She comes across as exactly what she is supposed to be. Coincidentally, she had recently appeared in a film called "The Jonestown Defense" (2011). Unfortunately, the three main actors (the news crew) are among the least best. They just seem like they are acting, like it is all fake, and that lowers the quality of the overall picture just a tad.

The film has obvious Jonestown parallels, with the jungle commune, religious leader and even the Kool-Aid. Why it evens attempts to be anything else is sort of strange when they could have just kept it a fictionalized account. Surprisingly, this event has not been a strong influence on horror films in the past. At least, none come to mind at the moment.

Some critics have said West was more focused on characters' deaths than their lives, and that is a fair concern. Indeed, in many ways the build up is far more interesting than the fates of any of the characters. Its devolving is perhaps necessary, but also unfortunate. Some deaths are so blatant, it cannot even be called exploitation, and the turn seems to come so sudden without reason.

The trend of "found footage" (which is more than a trend at this point) needs to stop. This is not one of the worst examples, but there were really no moments where the decision helped the story. Given that we (the audience) know from the first moment that this is not a real documentary, what purpose does it serve other than to make the camera-work slightly more difficult to follow? (And then, it never remains strictly found footage; anyone who pays attention will see multiple times where scenes are filmed from some other angle.)

Ti West continues to be among the best writers and directors working in horror today. His "House of the Devil" was a breath of fresh air, and "The Innkeepers" was rather enjoyable, as well. With "The Sacrament", he never quite reaches the level of the previous two, but still shows promise and clearly is willing to branch out to different themes. His next film is apparently a western. Perhaps his best work is yet to come?

Decent Jim Jones Story

[kalelakia · 6/10 · 4 April 2017]

This isn't a bad film, Its actually an OK cult movie. The main problem with the film is it lacks any actual new ideas. If you have seen or read anything about the Jim Jones cult you will automatically see this is a movie that took almost the whole story from that actual event. From the time the VICE crew gets off the helicopter to the point when its flying away, theses are all ideas and scenarios taken straight from the actual event. The film is fun to watch and the pacing is well. The actors do a good job and the leader of the cult does a great Jim Jones impression. The movie just suffers because you can watch an actual documentary of the Jim Jones cult and get a way more shocking story. But if you want a decent fun movie, give it a watch, I wouldn't say you would be wasting your time. 6/10.

Who doesn't love a Jonestown remake?

[fairfaxv · 7/10 · 28 February 2019]

Alright, I may be biased because I'm a big fan of Swanberg and West and anything that they touch but I really dug this film. I still look back at it fondly. It had all of the suspense and thrill that I look for in good entertainment and who doesn't love a good movie about hundreds of people being manipulated into drinking the juice? I've always wanted to make film and I think this one was probably a fun one to build.

This is my first review; it's probably painfully apparent. Had to on account of a lot of these bad ones I've read.

Gotta say, Gene Jones as the father KILLED it. The dude has this sort of eerie intimidation that lingers after the credits roll. Joe Swanberg is always gold in my eyes and I'll always seek that dude out. Ti West impressed me. Especially for a guy who's just a little older than me to create something so unsettling. I'm excited for more.

Keep it up, guys. The dedicated fans like me have our fingers crossed for more fun.

Makes the most of what it has...

[nukfan · 4/10 · 23 August 2014]

If The Sacrament has anything going for it, it would be how much the filmmakers accomplished with such a small budget. The colony is a worthy achievement; a lot of time and effort has been put into constructing the huts and various buildings. The isolation of the colony and the complacency of its inhabitants effectively establishes an eerie vibe and these are the main reasons why the first half of the film is the strongest. What tension there is builds slowly, and your time isn't wasted with jump scares and cheap thrills. Also, I appreciate, despite the fact that this is a found-footage film, that the camera isn't too shaky.

As a whole, unfortunately, The Sacrament is ultimately ineffective as a horror/thriller film. Ti West and company have derived a lot of inspiration from the Jonesville mass suicide in 1978, and this ends up being a negative contribution to the film. I have watched harrowing TV documentaries regarding this truly horrifying moment in human history, but The Sacrament is simply as predictable as any routine horror film. I made the Jim Jones connection very early on. The appearance of Gene Jones as "Father" only confirmed this connection, though Jones is definitely a wonderful member of the cast and I applaud the filmmakers for tracking him down.

I'm sure that there was a way to make this work. But the resemblances to Jonesville render the film practically unnecessary; I knew exactly what was going to happen. I understand that the film was based on a very disturbing event, but that doesn't give it a free pass. From a historic point of view, this is an interesting representation of Jim Jones' cult. But from a creative point of view, the film is ultimately an hour of slow -building tension with a restrained payoff. A good twist or perhaps taking the Jonesville concept in a unique direction would have given this a few more stars from me.

In conclusion, I recommend this for people who have never heard of Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple. For everyone else, I can't say the same.