Two journalists follow a man who's searching for his missing sister to a remote religious woodland retreat called Eden Parish which turns out to be anything but the paradise that it initially appears to be. Writer/director Ti West ably crafts a subtle, yet still potently unsettling sense of pure dread and unease that gradually culminates in a positively bloodcurdling mass suicide at the startling climax. Moreover, West grounds the compelling premise in a thoroughly believable everyday reality; it's the fact that the events depicted in this film are within the realm of possibility that in turn gives this picture an extra chilling power, with the obvious similarities to the infamous Jonestown massacre in particular providing an additional frightening plausibility. The excellent acting by the capable cast further keep this movie humming: Joe Swanberg as cynical cameraman Jake Williams, AJ Bowen as eager reporter Sam Turner, Kentucker Audley as the concerned Patrick, and Amy Seimetz as perky ex-junkie Caroline. Character actor Gene Jones contributes a stand-out portrayal of affable and charismatic cult leader Father. A supremely strong and unnerving winner.

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.

For those of you that are saying, "You'd be better off watching 'Jonestown: Life and Death in the People's Temple.'" I mean...you're not necessarily wrong, but saying so diminishes some of what I thought was really clever about this film: the found footage format.In Guyana (as they say multiple times in the documentary you are all so well defending), Jim Jones talked all the time over the loudspeaker and TAPED everything. I think the found footage angle on this film pays an interesting tip of the hat to that aspect of Jonestown life. The reason we know so much about what happened in the massacre is: A. The congressmen brought a film crew with him and we have footage from them and B. Jim Jones audio-taped the mass suicide. Those that survived the shooting at the airstrip took the film with them. The audiotape was discovered at the site of the massacre. (Therefore, it's not really problematic that in this film, one of the cameras was left behind). Did I feel like the FF angle felt forced at times? Of course! But I've seen it done WAY more awkwardly in other films, I just have to give this one credit. I thought the movie was inspired and paid tribute to many Jonestown victims throughout(i.e. the guy speaking out against Father in the meeting, the note slipped to the media). It's really hard to recreate something so tragic without feeling campy, especially in the horror genre and I think they did a good job. I do wish that (as in Guyana), a few of the cult members actually survived and escaped with them, I'm not terribly sure why they chose to eradicate everyone. But...in all, I enjoyed it.

This thrilling drama will remind you of the Jim Jones Massacre at Jonestown in the mid 1970s. Using "found footage" genre. Patrick(Kentucker Audley) works for a company proud of covering bizarre newsworthy subjects. He receives an invitation from his sister Caroline(Amy Siemetz)to visit her at a compound called Eden Parish for exiled Christians. This cult-like community is ran by a man simply called Father(Gene Jones), who is very paranoid when it comes to the so-called outside world. Patrick and two of his friends Jake(Joe Swanberg) and Sam(AJ Bowen), photographer and journalist, travel to Eden Parish. Patrick realizes quickly that his sister is acting differently and even more so, Father is obviously wanting to cover something up. A few "citizens" are secretly wanting to leave when the journalists do. Father is very content in not letting a living sole leave his man-made Utopian community.Be advised of disturbing violence, graphic and bloody images and situations earning an R rating. Cast members include: Shirley Jones Byrd, Derek Roberts, Kate Forbes, Dale Neal and Donna Biscoe.