El sacrificio

I'm not really a fan of thriller movies in which legends and cults are used for a plot. Because most are quite predictable and so it is Sacrifice. Thus, after reading a storyline at IMDb, I kinda knew what to expect.

I admit, main reason for watching this movie anyway, was Radha Mitchell. I just think, over the years, she's getting better and better. I can't judge her acting, but one is for sure: she leaves a mark in a movie.

So, even nothing really surprised me during watching Sacrifice, it got my attention all the time -it's something that makes a good movie in my eyes.

Thus, if you like such genre, I recommend seeing this movie. I give it 7 stars.

This movie was clearly made to entertain you while you doze off on the couch: semi intriguing premise, clunky pacing and the usual European folklore bric a brac composed of small communities, weird rites of fertility and secret cults.

Fairly run of the mill thriller. A woman moves to a remote Scottish island and stumbles onto a buried body. And so the 'mystery' begins....

Nothing special here but still enjoyable. Overall the story is quite standard and predictable. Even the twists and turns can be seen a mile away. Don't expect to be wowed or anything.

The only thing that lifts this movie in to something worth seeing is the lead actress (Radha Mitchell). Every time Radha was on screen she stole the show in this otherwise bland experience. Her convincing performance makes this movie.

Overall a good movie for a rainy day. Just don't expect Oscar material.

SACRIFICE is a horror film that doesn't want to be a horror film. Instead it would rather be a mature police procedural thriller, with lots of mystery aspects, but there's no getting away from the fact that the narrative is rooted in folk horror no matter how much the writer and director try to distance themselves from the genre.

The storyline is about an American doctor who goes to live on the Shetland islands with her husband and soon discovers a body missing a heart. It all points to sinister conspiracies and sacrifice, and she's soon up to her neck in danger. The film is beautifully shot - in Ireland for the most part - with lots of welcome outdoor location photography, and the plot feels like an episode of SILENT WITNESS with hints of THE WICKER MAN.

A shame, then, that the central detective story is so restrained and predictable. Radha Mitchell is a good actress, and she has a bit of charm here, but otherwise the it all feels very routine and difficult to get excited about. I liked seeing Ian McElhinney (GAME OF THRONES) in support but the rest of the cast are pretty boring, and things resolutely play out in the most predictable way imaginable.

What struck me about Sacrifice was that it had the feel of a really spooky episode of Monarch of the Glen (2000), somehow confused with an episode of Midsomer Murders (1997), with John Nettles played instead by an American doctor obviously in love with the adventures of Agatha Christie's Marple (2004). It's really a detective story more than a horror story. There is pace and some tension, and I admit I admired the lead's dogged determination. The story is wild, almost wacko, and will certainly make some viewers credulous. The story arc didn't really have any holes in it, which was quite a feat for such a spirally tale. I looked for them, but I have to hand it to the writers, they did a good job. I think the problem was more the premise which was far fetched. Even some of the scenarios beyond the story seemed far fetched. Would there really be a major maternity hospital on an island only reachable by boat? Wouldn't that present mothers with a problem if they came to term early? True, the hospital had a helicopter. The other problem I had was the filmmakers made no attempt to marry the story, with all its heritage, to the cinematography. The location was beautiful, but we only saw glimpses. British lovers of shows such as Marple and Midsomer Murders will enjoy this, but I doubt dire horror fans will be impressed.