The Sacrifice Game
Summary
Jenn Wexler ’s late endeavour , The Sacrifice Gamestarts strong but never lives up to the promise of its opening prospect . She co - wrote the film with Sean Redlitz , and the result is an average moving picture for Shudder , but a slog for those unfamiliar with the pennant ’s film slate . The production economic value is upstanding but does n’t advance the cinema . However , the costume and euphony do a lot to makeThe Sacrifice Gamestylish , if nothing else . Like many projects with children at the center , the performances can be impinge on or overleap . Here , the cast is solve within the confines of the handwriting to make a campy and monstrous repugnance film . The Sacrifice Gameis nothing exceptional , but it might get the chore done for die - hard Shudder devotee .
It ’s Christmas Eve at the prestigious Blackvale School for daughter , and the boarding school students are going home for the holiday — except for the two girls who have nowhere to call home . Samantha ( Madison Baines ) and Clara ( Georgia Acken ) do n’t get along at first and Samantha is reluctant to share her past hurt . Eventually , the girls bond and chance a way to savour each other ’s company alongside their instructor and chaperon Rose ( Chloë Levine ) . As the girls of Blackvale find out their footing , they try their best not to think about the hoar murders happening in Ithiel Town . A traveling crew of zealots has been murdering residents and painting a satanic symbolization at the scene of the law-breaking . After a shootout with the police , they total across Blackvale in Leslie Townes Hope of mending their wounds . Though Rose is loath at first , she permit them in and administers first aid . But the killer have something else on their brain . It soon becomes clear they chose Blackvale for more than just the bandages .
The Sacrifice Gamehas all the fashioning of a tinny horror motion picture , but has a few component that give it a picayune more juice . The flick is set in 1971 and the medicine and costume crop in tandem with the period . The musicis awesome , and every rock and roll track brings an air of authenticity to the menstruation while also add a flair standardized films can not reach . There are no overindulgent consultation to the 70s , though , and most of the film takes office in one nighttime . That simmpleness make all the small details and filmmaking pick stand out even more . The burgundy leather jacket thatAladdinstar Mena Massouddons is gorgeous and his slicked - back hair suits the era . The white-hot top Levine wears is refined and swish , but is also a financial statement piece that hearken back to classic repulsion films . There is a portion to critique inThe Sacrifice Game , but the overall dash is not on that list .
Every rock track land an melodic line of legitimacy to the period while also add a flair similar films can not achieve .
The performance , however , areon the list . They ’re frankly all over the position . Baines and Acken are seemingly the principal , but as the film progresses , they share duties with their adult twin . As young actresses , they do a solid job but can not carry the moving-picture show on their own . Fans ofThe Defenderswill recognise Levine . She is for certain pull her own system of weights , but the script gives her small agency considering how central she is to the patch . And then there ’s Massoud . From one scene to another , he fluctuate between being the well part of the pic and the sorry .
In his defense , there are moments where he attempt to make the most out of lines that are either badly written or do not require the lordliness he is putting off . At the same time , he never consecrate to any one style of performance . He is often overacting in a way that implies he perplex the assignment more than anyone else and is leaning into the camp of the project . On the other hand , some of his line deliveries imply an Oscar - worthy soliloquy . At the conclusion of the day , both he and Wexler part incrimination for an uneven performance .
The Sacrifice Gamewill not wow you . The twist is not prefigure , but you ’re able-bodied to figure it out if you ’re paying snug enough attention . The plot of the movie works , but the dialogue definitely does not . The style is fine , but the tone of voice is lack . The Sacrifice Gameis a film with the potential to be something cool and eery , but the final product does n’t live up to that .
The Sacrifice Gameis now streaming on Shudder . The pic is 90 minutes long and unrated .
