The Sacrament (2013)

A news team trails a man as he travels into the world of Eden Parish to find his missing sister, where it becomes apparent that this paradise may not be as it seems.

Director:

Ti West

Writer:

Ti West

Stars:

Joe Swanberg, AJ Bowen, Kentucker Audley

3 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joe Swanberg	...	Jake Williams
AJ Bowen	...	Sam Turner
Kentucker Audley	...	Patrick
Gene Jones	...	Father
Amy Seimetz	...	Caroline
Kate Forbes	...	Mindy
Conphidance	...	Guide #1
Derek Roberts	...	Guide #2
Shirley Jones Byrd	...	Lorraine Davis
Shaun Clay	...	Robert (as Lashaun Clay)
Dale Neal	...	Andre
Kate Lyn Sheil	...	Sarah White
Donna Biscoe	...	Wendy
Tovin A. Pristell	...	Guard
Christian Ojore Mayfield	...	Pilot (as Christian O'Jore)

Storyline

The journalist Patrick works at the VICE, a company dedicated to cover bizarre news. When his sister Caroline joins a community, she travels abroad with her new family. Out of the blue, Caroline invites her brother to visit her in an undefined country and Patrick travels by helicopter with his friends Jake and Sam that work with him at VICE. They find weird that the men that have come to guide them to the Eden Parish have guns. On the arrival to the camp, Patrick, Sam and Jake find a community of happy people that worship Father. They interview Father but soon they realize that people are not as happy as they seem to be. Further, they find that they are trapped in the Parish Eden and they want to leave the place with the newcomers. But the Father does not have intention to let them go.

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Plot Keywords:

immolation | brainwashing | cult | parish | journalist | 

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Taglines:

Live as one. Die as one.

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for disturbing violent content including bloody images, language and brief drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 May 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sveta Tajna

Filming Locations:

Savannah, Georgia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$583, 8 June 2014, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$9,039, 29 June 2014

Company Credits

Production Co:

Worldview Entertainment, Arcade Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gene Jones nailed his big interview scene in a single seventeen minute take.

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Quotes

Father: You fellas seem lost. Do you need someone to walk you back to your cottage?
Sam Turner: No, we're fine.
Father: You sure about that? You wouldn't wanna walk into the wrong place.
Sam Turner: Why? Is there something you don't want us to see?
Father: It's just an expression, friends. It's late. You wanna go pokin' around other people's business you go right on ahead. But if you put your hand into the dog's bowl, don't be surprised if you get bit.

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Soundtracks

When All Gods Children Get Together
(American Traditional Song)
Performed by The Hallelujah Singers
(P) 2014 SBP Commissioning LLC, under exclusive license to Milan Records

User Reviews

Why?

Without revealing too much of the plot, suffice to say this is a reimagining of an actual event.

No idea why other than to introduce the event to a young audience, but who understands the logic of why some films are made? And why the storyline was altered to make it appeal to that younger demographic.

The reality is that the actual event is even more horrific than this film, despite some of the graphic footage you are subjected to here.

I guess the idea was something like a mashup of The Blair Witch Project with the substantive portions of the actual event was the elevator pitch, but for anyone who is familiar with the actual event, this film will simply bore you to distraction until the inevitable happens.