Warning: Review contains spoilers.
David Creed’s 2020 tale of a group of young women going on a weekend trip to a mini-castle estate, ending up at a pagan festival is part old school horror, and a bit Blair Witch with characters facing their fears.
Using familiar ingredients like creepy and quiet locals hovering around, a local townsperson warning them to stay away and leave before its too late and the hitchhiker taking them to the gathering.
A few pages from the ‘80s slasher playbook are used adding an outside the box chapter via Pagan plot twist, instead of a satanic panic.
There are hints of back story early on when drama ensues in an early bar scene where the group decides a road trip would be a good idea for group bonding.
The film opens with some nice overhead drone footage of the vast forest enveloping feelings of dense isolation, almost Shining-like with some nice foreboding music.
A man runs out of the house soon to be occupied by the group, burning alive in the first minute of the movie. An assumed victim of an earlier ceremony and Creed deserves credit for doing something interesting in the first 60 seconds to hook interest.
One of the films early negatives is the background music in the club scene though it’s a matter of personal taste. While the effects are a mix of practical and digital, the FX did a legit good job of making the goddess statue look genuinely creepy with only branches, sticks and bones for effect.
The hitchhiker actually says, it’ll be “A weekend you’ll never forget,” which could be considered a major cliché, though not a death curse. It can be forgiven.
They learn about the pagan festival then stop to ask a creepy local (Rory Wilton) with a pitchfork to open the gate, violating one of the steadfast rules of horror, besides never saying, I’ll be right back.
The zoom shot of the trucks bone décor shows he’s part of the cult, foreshadowing use later.
Upon arrival, the ‘greenhouse’ is quickly found and indulged in. They go into town, meeting up with the hitcher, walking straight into the ceremony mid-woods with the goddess statue looming above. Thinking its just innocent fun, they make unintentional burnt offerings, without knowing it. As ironic music plays, they disrobe, dance and drink.
Soon, strange things start happening as their greatest fears begin manifesting. Killer dogs show up, sudden facial deformity happens with instant aging while phantom bugs skin crawl and abusive, sadistic ex’s from the past show up.
While the film uses several vintage ingredients, the greatest fear idea isn’t new but the Pagan prose, left hand path and curse plot is a different approach giving off a modern day vibe.
None of the characters are particularly annoying though you might want to see the selfie-obsessed girl get it sooner than later, whether by design or not, facing vanity as part of her fear. The sporty Trish (Emily Wyatt) goes for a jog, running straight through the area of the ceremony, having a face to face with the goddess statue.
One of the films creepier moments, whether intentional or not has the creepy gardener being questioned by the girls in the greenhouse, with a quick back shot of him casually holding a bloody dead body behind him.
Sacrilege is a fun, overseas, on a budget flick. If USA Up All Night still aired, it could be seen on Friday or Saturday night along with other cult classics.
