The Sacrament (2013) User Reviews

If you're gonna steal the Jim Jones story, at least call it what it is

[TheRedDeath30 · 5/10 · 24 August 2014]

My opinion of Ti West continues to dissolve as I sample more of his work. I love HOUSE OF THE DEVIL and thought that this was a bright new director who had a grasp on the "slow burn" style of film making. I felt that THE INNKEEPERS was a great movie ruined by a rushed, poor ending, but was still good enough to maintain my opinion of his future. Then, I saw his phoned-in entries in VHS and THE ABC's OF DEATH, but willing to chalk those up to being short stories. With this movie, he's now officially making me question whether he is a one-hit wonder.

I'm actually struggling a little bit with exactly what my opinion of this movie is and what my rating should be. I'll start with some of my issues with the movie. I had heard a lot of talk going into this movie that it was influenced by the Jonestown Tragedy and I was ready for a movie that explored the nature of fanaticism and religion in the framework of West's slow burn style. What I was not prepared for was an EXACT simile of the Jonestown events. Except for one of two creative liberties, West never strays from the story, at all. By the midpoint of the movie it is clear that he's not going to offer anything new and, as a result, all tension is lost because the viewer now knows exactly what is going to happen later. If he wanted to do a Jonestown movie, why not just do one? Why not use the character's names and just call it what it is? This feels like a blatant attempt to disguise his thievery for a younger generation that may not know any better. As someone who's interested in the more macabre side of life, I've seen a half dozen documentaries on this subject already, including prior dramatizations of the events, including a recent one on cable television that was pretty much just as good.

My other major issue is the "found footage" attempt. I have no inherent issue with found footage, at all. In fact some of my favorite horror of the past few decades would fall into that category and you'll never hear me complain about shaky camera-work or motion sickness. The problem, is that it just doesn't work at all and comes across as a crutch used by West to try to hide some of the cracks in the foundation. The quality of the film itself, the camera angles, the cinematography...all of them are too well done to be believable in the context of found footage. You know he wants you to believe that's what it is, but it's just not believable. There are even moments in the movie that are just plain impossible within this framing device. For instance, the climax with the two reporters and "Father". Anybody who could possible be filming is in the frame, so who exactly is taking the shot?

So, I started the review by stating that I wasn't sure of my opinion and how to rate it, but until now I've pretty much bashed it, so where's the confusion, you may ask. Well, let's assume for one second that I'm 20 years younger than I am and don't really have a base of knowledge on the Jonestown events, or am not aware of the prior versions of this story, that maybe this is new material. Let's also assume that I'm not very critical of film style and don't care about the found footage attempt. If you can put those two things aside, the movie is entertaining. Yes, I knew exactly what was going to happen, so tension was shot for me, but West's directorial style still saves this somewhat. Gene Jones is very good as Father, though definitely needed more screen time. AJ Bowen is decent as our main character and elicits a sympathetic reaction from the audience. There are brief shock moments, mostly in a few of the deaths. Those things keep this from being rated lower, for me.

As many have suggested in prior reviews, it's probably time for West to give up complete control. No matter who you are, in what business you work in, most suffer when given complete reins. It helps to have other opinions and thoughts. Maybe it's time for West to direct someone else's story and let someone else edit. And, for the love of God, stop casting your friends in movies. Joe Swanberg cannot act and should not be given roles.

Don't Look Away

[MrsTheFrog · 7/10 · 19 April 2023]

I was born in 83, so anything I know of Jonestown has been gleaned from podcasts, documentaries, or anniversary television broadcasts. Even that is much more than some.

And that's how it works, right? As much as we hate to admit it, as time moves on, everything (and I do mean *everything*) fades from memory. Go ahead and ask a 16 yr old nowadays who Jim Jones or David Koresh were - I bet they'll roll their eyes and assume you're talking about an 80s rock band lead. That fading and moving on of time is exactly why the remake/prequel/sequel/reboot industry is a thing of the Millennial age that never was before.

In order for history (good, bad, or indifferent) to continue to be passed along, the stories have to be retold and reincarnated in ways that are more appealing to those who come after. So maybe The Sacrament doesn't come right out and say, "Hey, we remade Guyana," but I sincerely doubt any of the filmmakers involved thought that viewers of the right age were going to mistake the story for anything else. Another movie that tells a variation of Jonestown without acknowledging it is "The Veil" btw.

As far as found footage films go, this one is high quality cinematography-wise. I thought the casting was actually fairly impressive, and despite knowing exactly where the story was headed, I did find the second half hard to watch; it did give me insight into Jonestown in a way that was truly shocking.

Worth a watch. Won't blow your mind, or bring home an Oscar, but Ti West is always hit or miss with me (mostly miss) and this one wasn't too bad. If you would rather see Jonestown through a less modern, less horror-genre lens, then by all means, go watch the stuff made in the 80s.

"This is the last sacrament."

[bigmystery23 · 7/10 · 29 April 2014]

Most people seem to dislike the "found-footage" genre, though I personal like to see what stories filmmakers can create and develop it as a found-footage (mostly horror). I did like the first 3 installments of "Paranormal Activity," I absolutely loved "Cloverfield," and "The Blair Witch Project" did scare me. Thus, if you found more than one of these repulsive, ignore my review. I will also warn that this is obviously not a movie for everyone. After watching this movie, I can say that I came out very disturbed and mortified, which was Ti West's intentions (I presume). The whole film feels very real, and I did enjoy Gene Jones and Amy Seimitz's terrifyingly surreal acting. Most people will see this movie knowing how it'll end since it's based on the Jonestown massacre (don't look this up if you don't know it!!!), but that doesn't mean there weren't other aspects of the movie that weren't entertaining. For what the movie is about, I was surprised to still be jumping in my seat and breathing heavily at moments of great suspense. My only complaints about the film were some of the choices Ti West chose to move the story (those moments where the audience knows they are doing something very stupid and it feels unrealistic that they would do that to begin with). Some criticism I've heard is that it takes forever to get to the "good" parts. I'm going to argue that that is false criticism unless you are only looking to watch a 95 minute movie filled with terror and suspense. Yes, the first half of the movie doesn't have very much suspense, but there is still a chilling mood creeping up every minute. Plus, the chemistry between the actors is great and entertaining!

A predictable, creepy found-footage romp that is a cut above many.

[lnvicta · 6/10 · 10 June 2016]

The Sacrament is a fairly straightforward movie. It's about a group of guys who are part of a documentary film group and one of the guys' sister moves into an isolated commune and the film crew wants to know the full scoop. You'll know exactly where this movie is going as it progresses, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It gives a chance for director Ti West to establish some character background and vague insights into the religious group while slowly turning the creep dial up until the movie's climax. The acting is good across the board, the standout being the Father (Gene Jones) who is suitably charismatic as the cult's ominous leader. For a found-footage movie it's shot well, but of course there are the typical issues that come with the turf - impossible angles, how the footage was even found - but these are things you'd know going in. The movie itself is a well executed, suspenseful slow burn.

The biggest fault in The Sacrament is its predictability. Again, it's not a bad thing, we just know what's coming at every turn. Creepy cult, innocent people poking their noses in places they don't belong, an underlying dark scheme that slowly unravels to the protagonists. If that kind of stuff interests you and you're willing to forgive the tropes that come with the genre, The Sacrament is a worthwhile watch.

Not what you expect from Ti West.

[maxime-chesneau · 7/10 · 2 May 2014]

First of all I have to say that I love Ti West's previous work and I was really waiting for this one, having read the good reviews back from the Festivals. So it starts slow, like you'd expect if you know the guy, but it's interesting. I didn't know about the real events that occurred before I heard of this movie, so I didn't really know what was gonna happen, and as the story kept going, I didn't lose interest or anything. It's not really a Found Footage since it's actually shot as a documentary so the shaky cams aren't THAT shaky. If you're not a ff aficionados, you might still dig this flick. Anyway, when the movie ended I was...well it's definitely not an "in your face" horror movie, and it's good that way. Ti West did a nice job and the tension is well built, we care for the guys involved in the situation even though a regular filming wouldn't have changed anything to the film. It's not West's best but it's still really enjoyable...sort of.

Great story. Poor people. Mass MURDER ( not suicide I'd say ). 7/10

Finally, a horror film that's actually "based on a true story"— the problem? It doesn't acknowledge it.

[drownsoda90 · 6/10 · 20 August 2014]

While it's commonplace for practically every horror film released today to be branded with the apocryphal "based on a true story" tagline, few of these films are actually truly rooted in any sort of reality. "The Sacrament", however, is. In fact, it's so much rooted in reality that it actually deserves that tagline, but, for reasons unknown, chooses not to use it.

The film follows a group of New York City journalists who fly out to an undisclosed location with one of their photographer friends to meet his sister, who has joined a commune. A wholly self-sustaining community, at first the commune seems like a nice place; that is, until a darker side begins to emerge, and the role the sinister "Father" plays becomes more and more apparent.

This is Ti West's first feature since "The Innkeepers" (he has most recently directed segments featured in the anthologies "V/H/S/" and "The ABCs of Death"), and it's perhaps his most dynamic production yet. Where his earlier horror films were characterized by plodding paces, slowburn atmosphere, and small casts, "The Sacrament" is certainly a more lively film; unlike the effective gloom West used to his advantage in "The House of the Devil" and "The Innkeepers", "The Sacrament" takes place nearly exclusively in broad daylight in an apparently tropical location, yet still captures the essential foreboding necessary to any horror film. It's presented as a found footage film, though I use that term loosely— it's no "Blair Witch Project". In fact, at times you forget it's a found footage film, it's so well-shot. The acting is also extremely reputable, especially for a small-budget picture, with Amy Seimetz and Gene Jones upstaging the three documentary leading men.

My only quip? I already knew the entire story five minutes into the film— not because it's got an obvious twist or a predictable plot, but because it is based just about one-hundred percent on Jonestown. If you are even slightly familiar with Jim Jones or the Jonestown Massacre (I studied the event in a university psychology class once and remember it well), the surprises here are nonexistent, as it is basically a retelling of that event with a couple minor tweaks. Is this necessarily a negative thing? No, I suppose not, although I do wish there had been some sort of declaration on behalf of the film where it acknowledges its basis on the Jonestown story; at least then I would have known beforehand. Rather, I was left watching the last half of the film play out rather predictably. It's an effective and disturbing last act, but I knew what was coming about an hour before that, and was halfway expecting a deviation in the tragic ending we already all know.

Because of this, "The Sacrament" is a troubling film; it very closely bases itself on a historical event without ever acknowledging it, and, as a viewer, I almost felt cheated by this. On the flip side, it is an extremely well-made film on just about all fronts, and there are some remarkably powerful scenes, so I have trouble absolutely dismissing it, but at the end of the day, it's really just a stylish dramatization of Jonestown that offers little intrigue for anyone who already knows what was in the Kool-Aid. 6/10.

Ti West does a good job with found footage

[victoryismineblast · 7/10 · 8 May 2014]

Ti West's latest horror opus has the viewer following a man going to visit his sister at a remotely hidden commune with 2 internet documentarians in tow to film and follow the story. It turns out to be more of a cult though ruled by an enigmatic leader named Father who seems to have a tight hold over his flock.

It doesn't take long before they realize things aren't exactly as they seem as they are drawn into the horror surrounding Eden Parish.

Many comparisons to real life cult situations of the past are being drawn here in a lot of other reviews and comments which kind of give the ending of the movie away, maybe aptly so, but it really just plays out like a horror movie. A.J. Bowen plays a different kind of role than he's used to and does a great job of it.

Fun cult movie has West moving in a new direction and he does a good job of it. There is quite a bit more action than his previous 2 films as the action moves along at a fairly steady pace. The soundtrack throughout the latter half of the movie detracts a little from the found footage experience as it takes a bit of the reality out of the situation.

Save 1.5hrs, Google "Jonestown"

[BearGrillsBare · 1/10 · 16 August 2020]

Wow...I can't believe this movie averages 6 stars. I went into it thinking something scary was going to happen. Halfway through, I realize the plot is pretty much Jim Jones and Jonestown. "Ok," I say to myself, "maybe there is a plot twist and they all turn into zombies or something clever."

Nope. Basically whoever scripted this pile of crap plagiarized the Wikipedia page for Jamestown. , changed some names, added some Shakey-Cam, pretended like it was found footage, and added a terrible score.

I was expecting a lot more. An actual documentary on The Jamestown Massacre is more terrifying than this movie. The saddest part of all is in the credits where, instead giving a tribute to the actual Jamestown Massacre victims, they continue with the fauxmentary falsehoods with the body counts and other BS about "Eden Parish."

Save your time, avoid this movie.

Jonestowns except not as insane.

[lannrya · 6/10 · 23 April 2019]

If you are looking for a movie that is based on Jonestown, this is your movie. However, if you are expecting it to be filmed somewhat true to the Jonestown Massacre...you will be disappointed. The only similarities were the journalists (which were from CBS in real life), people living in a commune in Guyana, creepy cult leader who believes he is God, and of course, the mass suicide. BUT what I CAN NOT wrap my head around how UNINTERESTING the story line they decided to build was. The ACTUAL story of Jonestown was far more interesting. This movie just picked out the main points of Jonestown and said "screw it" to everything else.

What happened in Jonestown was horrible, and this movie could have done an incredible job at trying to tell that story.

In The Sacrament, ~200 perish. In Jonestown, almost 1,000 perish. This is one of my greatest grievances with the movie.

6/10 because it has a great cast and I dig found footage films, but the lack of true Jonestown events just irks me. I mean, come on. It is clear what this movie is based off of. USE IT!

Jonestown

[Foutainoflife · 5/10 · 18 December 2018]

This was an almost exact telling of the Jonestown Massacre. The only differences were the date because it was present day, a film crew came with a parishioners relative rather than a congressman and there were not as many victims.

Paradise lost!

[parry_na · 8/10 · 1 August 2019]

'The Sacrament' is one of those found-footage films that likes to push the boundaries of the formula. Or in other words, what we have here emerges as a hybrid of the found-footage convention and 'traditional' film-making. Scrutiny reveals that not everything could possibly have been recorded by AJ Bowen's Sam Turner, despite imaginative efforts to get us to believe so. Equally, the addition of an occasional incidental score at moments of great tension seem to indicate either that the character's added this in their own fictional post-production, or this is a regular project put through the found-footage 'filter'.

I use the word 'fictional' - here again, nothing is that straightforward: although I didn't realise it when watching, this is based on the 1978 Jonestown atrocity in which a charismatic cult leader orchestrated a mass 'revolutionary suicide'. The leader's name was Jim Jones; in 'The Sacrament', the actor playing the cult leader is Gene Jones. Ooyah.

I wouldn't suggest that Jones was employed because of his name, however, far from it. His performance as 'Father', who benignly resides over the residents of Eden Parish, is excellent. Laconic and avuncular one moment, sharp and menacing the next. A tremendous character.

Amy Seimetz plays Caroline, who has transformed herself from a lowly world of drug abuse to the hippie heights of Eden Parish. Except, as her brother Patrick (Kentucker Audley) and film-maker Jake (Joe Swanberg) find out when visiting her, the gun-toting guards present an image that is anything other than peace and love. Jake's wife at home, is pregnant. This informs the sympathy he feels a little mute girl who, alongside her frightened mother, implore the visitors to get them away from the place. As was ever pretty opbvious, there is an evil at the heart of Eden Parish.

Director Ti West makes an excellent job of this, with the cast all providing well-crafted and rounded characters, and a real sense of menace that makes the 'tranquility' enjoyed by all the collected waifs and strays perversely unnatural. The occasional moments of gore, mostly saved for the atrocities toward the end, are subtle and very effective. The sense of the scale of wilful disaster here is unsettling, all the more so as it is orchestrated by the caring resident nurse. An excellent film, not entirely surprising in the story it tells, but powerfully carried out. My score is 8 out of 10.

Ti West rocks in this chiller... Superb!

[fahadkashmiri7 · 7/10 · 8 June 2014]

Well.. We all know what an amazing talent this guy Ti West is. 33 years of age and he has done almost everything a film maker dreams of. Actor, director, producer, screen writer and what not. But lately he has been in dumps mainly because of some sloppily made films (Cabin fever 2, The Innkeepers, The A,B,C.s of death) but with The Sacrament he's back with a bang. And now lets come to the story.. Yes it is based on Jonestown Murders, which in itself is a spine chilling incident and to portray that on celluloid with such realism is in itself an achievement. Performance wise AJ Bowen and Amy Seimetz rocked but the way Gene Jones carried himself in that devilish character of a "father" is simply astonishing. Good one for a surprise thriller. My vote 7 out of 10.

When I realized what we were watching, it was disappointing

[esmith-67294 · 3/10 · 7 May 2023]

You cannot take a significant tragedy in history like the Jonestown Massacre, tweak a few tiny details, and call it a "found footage" movie. No hate on the actors/acting, cinematography, etc. All of the components that would make a decent horror/thriller flick were there, aside from an original story line. It had potential at first...until it was clearly just a slightly altered version of Jonestown.

Like another review stated - "If you're gonna steal the Jim Jones story, at least call it what it is." It's also a little gross to take a true event such as this and make a movie out of it. Personal and possibly unpopular opinion on the matter, but a documentary on the subject would be the only acceptable "film" with this specific storyline.

Again, no hate to anyone other than the brain trust that thought this was a good idea. It wasn't so bad I'm wishing for the 2 hours of my life back, but I wouldn't recommend.

Heavily Inspired by Jonestown Massacre

[MDCarver1980 · 7/10 · 22 October 2021]

I feel like they wanted to tell the Jonestown story but for some reason had to make it fictional... but this is Jonestown through and through... there is a really good scene when Sam does an "Interview" with Father and it is excellently done .... Well written and well acted, that scene .... It fell apart after that to hop skip and jump to the Big Jonestown stuff and from that point it's just a reenactment of any documentary you've seen about it.

Upsetting

[AlabamaWorley1971 · 7/10 · 19 October 2020]

I'm not sure how reviewers dismissing this as overly conventional could not have been affected on some level by this film.

What must have being at Jonestown been like? Mothers watching their own children choking. The dawning realization that they may have made a bad choice. The will of a narcissistic personality like The Father to compel people to do such a thing. This film makes it real.

Cultural

[PedroPires90 · 6/10 · 18 March 2022]

So...it is much harder for an European to imagine a lot of this as plausible than for an American. Yes, I know what inspired this. However, it was a long time ago, even if I know that nowadays the cults are still strong in America, which is very rare in almost every other developed country. I think that susceptibility from Americans to cults (probably based on their extreme beliefs in religious elements, which usually are not that common anymore in developed countries) makes this a much more terrifying experience for them, while most of us will see it as "oh c'mon, can't you see the red flags?", "c'mon, do you really believe in heaven and that it is the way to go there?" Or "why the hell would you let a white old man decides your death and future"...

Having said that...the film is mostly good, tense and effective. It's well constructed, with a good build-up, good acting and you feel something in the air even when nothing is happening. I've some issues with the found-footage elements (yeah right, you are running away from cold killers with your camera in your hand to slow you down) and with the stupidy of some characters (not only the cult members, but...that guy coming back to the place after seeing armed security officers trying to kill him??? And screaming while there are killers around looking for survivors? Jeez...). Nonetheless, I can say more good than bad about this.

A complex and satisfying psychological thriller.

[robfollower · 7/10 · 10 May 2019]

"The Sacrament" builds up its suspense by slowly revealing things are not as perfect as they seem in the little community known as Eden's Parish. While it may be a bit too slow for some, The Sacrament offers enough tense atmosphere and intriguing ideas to satisfy discerning horror buffs. A complex and satisfying psychological thriller. Free on TUBI

Starts promising, completely falls apart in second half

[PhoenixRising1980 · 4/10 · 2 May 2014]

What starts out as a promising look into a religious cult, quickly turns into a jumbled mess of incoherent storytelling, baffling motivations, and annoying camera work.

The problem is none of the characters are well rounded or defined beyond the absolute basics (and they do incredibly stupid things throughout the film, especially in the second half). So when things start going bad, it's hard to care. The film seems to want to offer a deep, nuanced look into the world of cults, but West doesn't seem to be able to paint anyone with more than a primary colored brush. Everyone is a caricature ...especially "Father", who is little more than a mouthpiece for religious mumbo jumbo.

The decision to make this found footage becomes the film's biggest flaw, as the extremely limited use of the camera gives every scene a flat incomplete feeling, totally stripping the film of any gravitas or meaning. Found footage has become a lazy, tired cliché in the horror genre and West is no where near talented enough to make it work. West is quickly becoming a hackneyed presence in the world of horror, and it's a mystery why people make such a big deal of him.

And I am wondering where the hell the $4 Million budget went, since the cinematography is bare bones, we're only ever in a single location, and there are no explosions or huge actions scenes. I mean you could've made this for less than a million dollars and it would've been exactly the same movie.

All in all a disappointing film.

Cult Status?

[NotAnotherMovieCritic · 6/10 · 2 November 2014]

When it comes to the new sub-genre, found film footage's this one does what a lot of them don't do. It takes us into a remote location where we see a fictional crazy Christian cult. One of the character's sister is involved in the cult, which is what brings our protagonists to their current location.

At first everything seems great, the people are happy but there is somehow a darkness you can't quite put your finger on. Producer Eli Roth is very good at doing this when it comes to his films, but so does a little corniness, but thankfully he's not the director so his corniness is not seen in this film.

But with his name being attached you do sort of hope to see a lot of violence and gore, something this film was lacking. It was sort of a more realistic view on cults, nothing like we saw in Kevin Smith's Red State. This is one is a little bit more subtle, but that's what makes it way more disturbing in my eyes. The final scenes are very intense in what kept me at the edge of my seat. The ending isn't what you normally get in these types of films and that is always refreshing.

As of this review this film is currently on Netflix and I highly recommend it to those who want to watch something scary and something a little different in terms of horror.

Terrible movie filled with missteps; you want to know about

[jinx_malone · 2/10 · 5 October 2014]

Jonestown? Wiki it. Just reading about it is about a hundred times more disturbing than this film.

First things first. Adding the VICE imprimatur made this all the more unrealistic; do you mean to tell me that VICE, who introduced me to General Butt Naked, is not going to have any knowledge whatsoever of a creepy reverend operating out of some unnamed backwater? Or that they're not going to do any research before they go where they're going? Stupid.

AJ Bowen is a good actor when he's doing homages to eighties horror or even playing an asshole; he doesn't have the weight needed to pull his role off. I had problems with all the actors. The guy playing Jim Jones--why bother pretending this isn't what's going on in this movie--was decent with the 'material' he had, I suppose.

The speeches Father gave were neither chilling nor all that informative. There's no real slow burn here either, which is what Ti West is known for. One second everything is cool, the next it's shot to hell. If you read any book about Jonestown or watch the many documentaries which exist, you'll see how the People's Temple did start out as a fairly benevolent organization, one which existed for many years before Jones finally lost it. That 'fairly benevolent aspect' is why Jones was able to draw so many in.

Aside from this being a movie about Jonestown from start to finish, there's a lot more we see in the film that's a pastiche of things which have actually occurred. I didn't like the Budd Dwyer call out at the end that "Father" performs, or sister Caroline pulling a 'Buddhist monk immolates self in a protest against treatment by the Vietnamese'. The sudden pull of the gun and the manner in which Father bleeds out is exactly the same as Budd's suicide, Caroline's ghoulish dance is a fair bit different, but if you have the references, the movie just feels like a ripoff of things which already happened and in all cases are far more horrifying than this film.

Most people have heard the Jonestown tapes, and unless you're living under a rock, you've seen pictures of the aftermath. This movie did nothing to otherwise illuminate the story of what happened there, so why make it? Just make a Jonestown film instead. You know you're in bad shape when a thirty year old TV mini-series starring Powers Boothe is a better representation than the four million dollar movie you just made.

In closing, I thought the inter-titles telling us that "167 people died in the massacre at Eden Parish" and "It was one of the largest mass suicides in recorded history" were in stupidly poor taste.

You see, in contrast, 913 people died at Jonestown. That was the largest mass suicide/murder in recorded history. This movie is for a generation who can't be bothered to look at the past--much like the eerily prophetic sign which hung over Jones's chair.

Oh, you don't know about that either? The internet, she is your friend.

Entertaining

[omarcantbestopped · 8/10 · 11 February 2021]

One of the best cult movies made. Sad story, plot based on the accounts that happened in Jonestown. Waco is the best miniseries made of similar account.

Great build up, credible story, obvious fake blood & poor ending -sadly. Give it a shot.

[george-eu · 7/10 · 22 April 2015]

I've seen people mentioning the Jonestown Mass murder and how close the events in this movie are to that. I personally wasn't aware of it but after watching the movie I've documented myself about it and yes... if you've heard about Jonestown, then watching this movie is just a fictional visual representation of what happened there. Sorry.

Regadless, the case was interesting and the movie will most likely get a grip on most people as it makes you more and more curious towards what's really going on. As I've mentioned in the title, the story was credible, the tension building up was also there and done right and from the moment they get to Eden Parish (the community where the events in the movie take place) until things went haywire, you just feel there's something extremely eerie and sketchy about it all. The acting was pretty much great, the guy who was supposed to be the interviewer (AJ Bowen) really had this VICE interviewer personality, the Father (antagonist) was also astonishing both in acting and speaking and mostly every other smaller actor in the movie felt like professionals. Everyone BUT Joe Swanberg (the camera guy). I have nothing against him personally, I do not know him, but you will also probably notice what I'm talking about by the end of the movie. It might be the script too, but I personally found he's acting bad enough.

By the end of the movie you'll feel pretty angry with the events and if you're 'lucky' to know about Jonestown too, seeing this on screen will make you become even more upset knowing that such things actually happened. Great small flick, definitely worth giving a shot. I only hoped the ending was a bit more elaborate and intelligent.

Just Ripping Off What's....

[respondtome · 3/10 · 27 October 2016]

Already out there that stands as legitimate information. Try reading "Raven,"try viewing a quality documentary and understanding the historical context from which this "movie" came from. I'm sorry but people really died in this horrible ordeal and it clearly wasn't a film. Sometimes spending 4m on a project is just a bad idea outside giving work to actors and film crews. It's not a mystery that opening weekend seemed to bring in less than $550 USD. This effort would have been better served by the creators simply retelling the original story perhaps from a different view point. I thought it was in poor taste to put up that 167 lives were lost and that only two survived. Try over 900 with no movie stars involved. 3/10 was for how things looked at the outset. Don't pay any money for this.

Opened my eyes...

[Red_Identity · 31 July 2014]

This is definitely watchable, mostly well acted, well shot and has some decent thrills. After watching it though, I became aware of Jonestown, and the film seems like it really was exactly the Jonestown incident. It opened my eyes to the real event, which is pretty shocking and downright awful, so in that way I'm glad I saw this. I cannot imagine what went through these people's heads, and I think the film is definitely faithful as to the real events (besides a few things, of course) and I am so surprised that it doesn't have the header "based on" since it really is a retelling of it. Overall, I recommend it, but it's no The House of the Devil or The Innkeepers

Pretty good, for a retelling of a true story.

[cockadoody73 · 6/10 · 15 June 2014]

This film starts in a documentary/pod-cast style. Man contacted by his drug addict sister, to visit her on the commune which she credits for her recovery and subsequent new drug free life. She invites him, and he then invites his friends along to film the whole event.

From the second the party arrives, via helicopter, at the commune (in a secret location) named Eden Parish, run by a man known as 'Father', it's pretty clear what the whole premise is. Armed guards posted at the entrance, despite the commune claiming to be pacifists. Overly happy people, more than happy to declare how Father and Eden Parish have changed their lives. Father is even happy to invite the film crew to meet with him and his followers, for a question time of sorts. Everyone is happy, they sing songs, then go to bed.

But when a small child hands the crew a note, the whole trip takes a sinister turn. To say any more would simply spoil the last hour of the film. Needless to say, this whole scenario mirrors a very famous religious cult from a couple of decades ago.

Very well made, it is produced by Eli Roth, and well worth watching.