Sacrifice, Romain Gavras’s satirical action-adventure, is an absolutely ridiculous movie that at times works really well, and that gives Chris Evans a chance to show that he is more than just Captain America. However, as fun as it is at times, the movie undercuts its own message with a rather predictable ending that makes it less than it could have been.
The idea behind Sacrifice, eco-terrorists taking over an environmental conference filled with celebrities, is fertile ground for the kind of commentary the movie seems to want to make. And the general idea has been done before, with better storytelling, in movies like The Menu. That’s partly the problem with Sacrifice. It goes from satire to somewhat sincere with a detour into the predictable, which keeps it from standing out.
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If the movie has a saving grace, it’s the performances. We knew Evans had a knack for comedy, but in this, he does a more understated kind of comedy than in Deadpool & Wolverine, and he weaves in enough earnestness that his performance stands out. Anya Taylor-Joy is also good as Joan; it’s just that, as effective as her performance is, it feels like she’s been playing the same character for so long that there’s nothing remarkable about how good she is at it.
The rest of the movie is filled with good performances from the likes of Vincent Cassel, Salma Hayek Pinault, Ambika Mod, Charli xcx, among others. But there’s nothing exceptional about what any of them is trying to do, and the movie doesn’t even take advantage of the irony of having some of these people play what are clear caricatures of real people.
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Sacrifice could have had some fun with the idea of Chris Evans as a failed movie star or Salma Hayek Pinault as the wife of a billionaire. Instead, every beat of the story feels predictable and safe. The ending, in particular, feels like a disservice to a decent idea that, before that, had at least done a good job entertaining the audience, even if there were no particular surprises to be found in the way it was doing so.
Overall, Sacrifice is a worthwhile idea with messy execution that never takes any risks. And it pales in comparison to other films that have tried to tackle the “eat the rich” vibes this movie carries at its center. Sure, you might laugh at times. But even the laughs come at moments where it feels like the movie is just trying too hard and never quite managing to land its punches.
Sacrifice screened at the Toronto International Film Festival.
