Common Sense Media Review
By Kat Halstead
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Predictable thriller has language, violence, suicide.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
A Sacrifice
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In A SACRIFICE, social psychologist Ben Monroe (Eric Bana) is researching the activity of cults in Berlin, when his daughter Mazzy (Sadie Sink) comes to stay for the semester. As he's pulled to spend more time on his work with colleague Nina (Sylvia Hoeks), Mazzy rebels and turns to a mysterious local boy (Jonas Dassler) for attention.
Is It Any Good?
Writer-director Jordan Scott adapts Nicholas Hogg's novel Tokyo Nobody, relocating it to Berlin in a thriller that's taught and well-acted, but a little too clearly set out to keep its air of mystery. From the get-go in A Sacrifice, all the twists and turns are so thoroughly set up and spelled out that it's just a matter of watching the inevitable unfold. Bana does a solid job as an estranged father caught between a desire to further his career and a desire to reconnect with his kid. But it's Sink (Stranger Things) who carries the movie as a rebellious teen pulled into an exciting new world. She's reliably fascinating to watch and the saving grace in what is a perfectly entertaining movie that does enough to keep viewers engaged but never quite hits the narrative heights of its source material.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the theme of cults in A Sacrifice. How was the cult at the center portrayed? How did the organizers manipulate others, and what did you think attracted people to join?
Discuss the violence in the movie. Did you find it thrilling? Scary? Both? Do some types of media violence have different impact than others?
How did the movie portray drinking, drug use, and smoking? Were they glamorized at all? Why is that relevant?
Discuss the strong language used in the movie. Did it seem necessary, or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?
One theme in the movie is the idea that the group is more important than the individual. Is that a philosophy you've heard before? Do you think there's any truth in it? Discuss your views on when that could be a positive way to approach something and when it could be dangerous.
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 28, 2024
- On DVD or streaming : July 16, 2024
- Cast : Sadie Sink , Eric Bana , Sylvia Hoeks
- Director : Jordan Scott
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Vertical Entertainment
- Genre : Thriller
- Topics : Activism ( Civic engagement ) , Faith , Family Stories ( Moms , Siblings , Single Parents )
- Run time : 94 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 4, 2025
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