The Sacrament

2014 • 99 minutes

About this movie

Two journalists set out to document their friend's journey to reunite with his estranged sister. They track her to an undisclosed location where they are welcomed into the remote world of “Eden Parish,” a self-sustained rural utopia composed of nearly two hundred members and 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. Eden Parish harbors a twisted secret. What started as just another documentary shoot soon becomes a fight for survival.

Ratings and reviews

To be honest, I wish it were truthfully marketed. If they had said that is was based on the Jonestown massacre I would've given this a higher rating. I thoroughly dislike the found footage subgenre but as far as they go, this wasn't that bad. However there is absolutely no elements of horror in this film and that's what really sucks especially coming from Eli Roth. I was too young to recall the events in Jonestown, so this was a nice peer into what happened there. In light of this, this movie is more of a mockumentary than anything else, and should have been advertised as such.

Cant believe I wasted money on this. It was a Jonestown rip off. Nothing original about this. Oh, its not a "horror" either... I read some reviews, I typically don't put too much into them (good or bad), however, I will start. Eli Roth, you disappointed me with this retelling of Jonestown... Waste your money if you want to, but go rent anything about the Jonestown massacre (or google Jim Jones), and here is your movie. "Father" even had the sun glasses and kool aid.

The kind of scary that can only come from fear rooted deeply in reality. Gene Jones' "Father" of the Eden Parish religious utopia/hell is commanding and terrifying in his not-quite-benevolent power. Interesting addition to the found footage genre.