The Sacrament (2013)

 

**This review contains spoilers**

The Story- Patrick (Kentucker Audley), a freelance photographer, receives a letter from his sister, Caroline (Amy Seimetz). Caroline, a recovering drug addict, invites Patrick to Eden Parish, a remote and isolated community in another country, for a visit and a tour.

Patrick leaves America with VICE News correspondent, Sam (A.J. Bowen), and his cameraman, Jake (Joe Swanberg). During the visit, Sam is promised an interview with Charles Anderson Reed, or “Father” (Gene Jones), the organizer and the leader of Eden Parish. The people of Eden Parish are seemingly happy and at peace with themselves under Father’s leadership, but things change, when a little girl named Savannah (Talia Dobbins) delivers an alarming note to Sam. 

My Thoughts- The Sacrament is heavily inspired by the Jonestown Massacre, so it’s easy to see the similarities between Father and Jim Jones. There’s no denying Gene Jones has a strong screen presence here. The hero’s welcome Father receives before his interview with Sam, Father’s mind games during the interview, or that one scene, where the mask falls off, and Father shows a more menacing side to his personality, when he threatens Sam and Jake (“If you put your hand into the dog’s bowl, don’t be surprised if you get bit”).

Gene Jones grabs your attention, whenever he pops up. It’s truly an impressive performance from Jones, switching gears between this endearing and charismatic old man, with a southern accent, to a devious cult leader. Father is a pathological liar, a master of manipulation, a narcissist, and the ultimate snake oil salesman, promising unrealistic fantasies, while conveniently ignoring the realities of life. 

Amy Seimetz’s performance embodies just about everything you can possibly think of for a completely brainwashed cult member. Does Caroline love Patrick? Of course she does, but early on in the movie, you can easily see she’s already too far gone. The cheeriness, praising Father nonstop, without criticizing anything, and Caroline blindly playing along with the ruse to give off the impression that life in Eden Parish is perfect. On the other side of Caroline’s loyalty to Father, you can see glimpses of a lost young woman, who truly wanted to believe in paradise, a carefree life and a loving family. It’s sad, because you just know she’s an easy target for Father, someone he molded to be his devout number one follower. 

This is a found-footage film, right? Opening credits? Names of the actors and actresses? Music? Why? Suspension of disbelief immediately dies in a found-footage film, when there’s too much structure. I know it’s a movie, but found-footage films should feel and look kind of messy and chaotic to a certain extent. You’re going with the idea that The Sacrament was a real documentary, and we’re supposed to believe we’re watching mayhem unfolding in real time, when things go south towards the end. Some scenes and certain shots are just too convenient, one too many perfect timing moments. It’s ALMOST to the point, where The Sacrament would’ve been better off abandoning the found-footage POV for a more traditional style of filmmaking.

Patrick’s death is one of the more gut-wrenching moments in The Sacrament, after Caroline jams the syringe filled with “the potion” into his neck. No cuts, or interruptions. Director Ti West sticks with the scene from start to finish, so you can see every agonizing moment leading up to Patrick’s death, including his final pleas to Caroline to let him go. Patrick still loved his sister, but it was too late.

When Jake leaves for the helicopter, and you see that serious and angry look on Caroline’s face, you know something bad is about to happen. Lots of hectic carnage during the finale. Caroline committing suicide by lighting herself on fire, the mass suicide/mass murder, with the poisoned drinks, and the sight of all the dead bodies laying on ground and everyone foaming at the mouth and convulsing before the end. The home stretch closely mirrors what actually happened at Jonestown, while Father recites bible verses, continuing the charade with more lies.

The Sacrament mostly delivers a tense finale. My one big problem involves Jake. WHY are you still recording, when armed men are shooting at and trying to kill you? Put the camera down! Sorry, but the whole I have to record everything, because the public needs to see this line of thinking falls apart, when your life is in danger.

I recently finished reading A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story Of Jonestown, by Julia Scheeres. The Sacrament immediately popped into my head. You don’t have to know about Jim Jones and Jonestown to really get into The Sacrament. As soon as Patrick, Jake, and Sam arrive at Eden Parish, you can clearly see something is off. 

The Sacrament, set in 2013 for a more modernized version, draws a lot of parallels to the massacre. Gene Jones’ entire persona is based on Jim Jones. The dump trucks, the announcements over the PA system, the drugs, the secluded community in another country, the delusional threats of US soldiers invading and destroying Jonestown, the potion is basically the same as the poisoned Flavor Aid drinks, and none of the residents are allowed to freely leave the community, if they choose to do so. 

And you could say the visit from Patrick, Sam, and Jake is almost similar to what happened to the NBC crew and Leo Ryan in 1978. It’s all there. The deception, the lies, the constant BS, and the harsh punishments for anyone, who questions or defies Father. Father also has his own armed enforcers, with two guides (played by Conphidance and Derek Roberts) leading the pack. Similar to Jim Jones and Jonestown, Eden Parish is not a dreamland: It’s a living nightmare, led by a sadistic madman. 

The injection of VICE News during the opening feels kind of weird here. I understand they were trying to play up the realism angle. VICE is covering a real-life SHOCKING story! But the opening message was a bit too self-indulgent for me, basically one short ad about how awesome and groundbreaking VICE News specials are, because it’s all about “immersionism.” 

The Sacrament has its problems. Some familiar found-footage cliches (PLEASE drop the camera, if someone’s trying to kill you), and it’s a slow start during the early stages. Still, Gene Jones is fantastic as Father. Amy Seimetz nails Caroline, a solid performance for a character, who’s torn between her demons, her brother, and a man, who she believes saved her, when she hit rock bottom. 

The Sacrament ends with a chaotic and violent finale, featuring a handful of gruesome moments, and two believable close calls. It’s a worthwhile found-footage horror film, that might raise your eyebrows more than once, if you know enough about Jim Jones and The Peoples Temple. 

Oddly enough, The Sacrament also works as a loose biopic, or a quasi docudrama covering the final days of Jonestown. No truly happy endings here, no smiling faces, no relief. Ti West closely sticking to what actually happened at Jonestown in ‘78 was the right call. Overall, it’s the logical approach to bring some authenticity to The Sacrament for a dark and unsettling film, based on a true story about a horrible tragedy.

Rating- 6/10