Movies
[Fantastic Fest ’13 Review] Wolfman Drinks the Kool-Aid, Calls ‘The Sacrament’ Incredibly Unsettling!
Two of the bigger presences in horror in both mainstream and independent horror communities are Eli Roth and Ti West. Roth came made his mark with the humor and gore-filled Cabin Fever and subsequent Hostel films while West was cutting his teeth with indie horror movies like The Roost and Trigger Man. The Sacrament isn’t the first time these two have crossed paths, as West was tapped to direct the sequel to Cabin Fever, which West has all of disowned involvement in due to studio interference. Even if hearing Roth and West’s names together on a movie might initially cause assumptions on what happened when they get involved together, I can tell you that The Sacrament is nothing like what either have done before, and it’s incredibly unsettling.
Set up as a VICE style immersion documentary, our host Sam (AJ Bowen) tells our viewers that another staff member Patrick’s (Kentucker Audley) sister has gotten involved in “clean living” commune that has relocated to a foreign country. Both wanting to find out what kinds of things his sister is involved in and wanting to explore what kind of retreat would up and relocate from Mississippi to a foreign country, Sam takes the opportunity to explore the “Eden Parish”. Although initially met by armed guards, the vibe of the community shifts once Sam, Patrick, and cameraman Jake (Joe Swanberg) finally meet Patrick’s sister Caroline (Amy Seimetz). Even though the living conditions are barebones and the idea of this group of people abandoning their lives to live here, everyone the film crew talks to genuinely seem happy. The leader of the group, who is referred to as “Father” (Gene Jones), even grants Sam an interview. It’s easy to see how Father could convince a group of people to move to a foreign country with him, as he’s equal parts charismatic, mysterious, and intimidating. Just as Sam and Patrick start feeling like maybe Caroline is in good hands, the journalists learn that things aren’t quite as they seem, but just how accurate were their assumptions and just how much danger could the Eden Parish possibly cause?
While introducing the film, West made sure to remind everyone to get rid of their preconceived notions they might have about the film, but the filmmaker’s strength really show through. Even though the format doesn’t really lend itself to long establishing shots that West fans might be familiar with, the pacing of the movie really focuses on the big payoff at the end as opposed to cheap scares. Roth has a reputation for gore and laughs, which are both present in the film but in unexpected ways. Are there scenes of graphic violence? Sure, but not in form of “torture porn” that you might be thinking of. There are plenty of laughs, but rather than coming from snippy insults or witty references, the humor comes from the main cast having to deal with situations outside of their comfort zone. The film is quite different from anything the two have done before, but there are familiar elements from their filmmaking styles that remind you why these two have earned their success.
Since you can’t really rely on gorgeous cinematography or mind-blowing special effects to sell a point of view style movie, it really all falls on the cast. Luckily, West brought in faces both new and old to create a group of characters to humanize the story and demonize the humanity. Bowen, who genre fans have seen as a villain in quite a few genre films, is just as skeptical as he is accepting to everything Eden Parish has to offer. As someone who’s seen him in the villain role countless times, I was happy to see him show that he can be as endearing and charming as he is intimidating, and great to see the chemistry between him and Swanberg. You can tell these two have collaborated before, as there’s just as many funny moments with dialogue and unspoken moments as their banter. Amy Seimetz might seem like she’s just playing a drugged up hippy, but when you realize that she’s in a clean-living community, you envy what could cause her character that state of euphoria and driving the viewer’s intrigue even further. As great as it is to see familiar Ti West faces, adding Gene Jones into the mix was a stroke of genius. Jones is compelling, mysterious, terrifying, and makes you wonder which Jones it is you’re really watching.
West has always been great at building tension and controlling a film’s atmosphere, but that’s normally taking place in a house or a hotel. This time, the paranoia of the entire commune extends even further than the gates of the compound and feels like the paranoia and danger extends outside of the compound and like it could reach the rest of the world, including the audience. I’ve always loved horror movies where people you think you can trust are the ones you have to fear, so The Sacrament was right up my alley. The film can both be taken at face value or you can read into it as much as you want, but West never really places any sort of “blame” on any sort of belief system, challenging the viewer to confront their own personal beliefs and what they interpret as the “other”. Certainly not an enjoyable experience, as it has two of West’s and Roth’s most disturbing death sequences yet, but it has elements to appeal to genre and non-genre fans alike. It marks a step forward for West as a filmmaker, distancing himself traditional horror movie tropes, and makes you wonder what subject he’ll tackle. If this review sounds a little too positive, I’m just going to blame it on drinking the Kool-Aid.
Also check out Mike Pereira’s positive review here.
For more reactions out of Fantastic Fest and plenty more caps lock nonsense, make sure to follow @TheWolfman on Twitter!
Ghostface is back on the big screen this weekend… well, sort of… with the release of Scary Movie, which marks the Wayans brothers’ return to the horror spoof franchise for the first time since Scary Movie 2 back in the day. It’s likely to be the talk of the horror community for the weekend, but don’t overlook the other six genre movies that were freshly unleashed today.
Here’s all the new horror that released on Friday, June 5, 2026.
The horror spoof franchise is back with Scary Movie now playing in theaters!
Marlon Wayans (“Shorty”), Shawn Wayans (“Ray”), Anna Faris (“Cindy”), and Regina Hall (“Brenda”) reunite for the new Scary Movie, with the cast also including Dave Sheridan, Lochlyn Munro, Cheri Oteri, Chris Elliott, Jon Abrahams, Damon Wayans Jr., Gregg Wayans, Kim Wayans, Benny Zielke, Cameron Scott Roberts, Heidi Gardner, Olivia Rose Keegan, Ruby Snowber, Savannah Lee Nassif, Sydney Park, and Felissa Rose.
Twenty-six years after outrunning a suspiciously familiar masked killer (“Ghostface”), the Core Four are back in the killer’s crosshairs and no horror movie IP is safe…
Scary Movie will slash through reboots, remakes, requels, prequels, sequels, spin-offs, elevated horror, origin stories, anything with the word legacy in it, and every “final chapter” that absolutely isn’t. A whole lot has changed in the horror genre since the Wayans Brothers were in charge of the franchise; their involvement ended with Scary Movie 2 back in 2001!
Michael Tiddes (A Haunted House) directs Scary Movie 6 from a script written by Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, original Scary Movie director Keenen Ivory Wayans, Craig Wayans (Scary Movie 2), and Rick Alvarez (A Haunted House).
From IFC, shark attack movie Chum is now available on Digital.
Alice Eve (Haunting of Queen Mary) stars in shark attack movie alongside Eric Michael Cole, Jim Klock, Elle Haymond, Lisa Yaro, Johnny Gaffney, and Sarah Siadat.
This one sounds very similar to last year’s Dangerous Animals…
Here’s the plot: “A newlywed couple joins friends on a Mediterranean yacht excursion, only to find themselves caught between a predatory shark and a psychopathic killer in their midst-transforming a sun-drenched escape into a fight for survival.”
Jonathan Zuck directs Chum, from a script by Jonathan Zuck and Joe Leone.
Samara Weaving (Ready or Not 2: Here I Come) and Kyle Gallner (Strange Darling) come together in Carolina Caroline, a sexy crime thriller now playing in theaters.
It’s not a horror movie, mind you, but it’s worth a mention here all the same.
Kyra Sedgwick (Family Movie) and Jon Gries also star in the romantic crime thriller.
Director Adam Carter Rehmeier’s film stars Samara Weaving as Caroline Daniels, whose desire to leave her small Texas town brings her into the orbit of a charismatic con man (Kyle Gallner), and together they weave a path of crime and passion across the American Southeast.
Adam Rehmeier previously directed the films Dinner in America and Snack Shack.
Tom Dean wrote the screenplay for Carolina Caroline.
Similar to Steven Spielberg’s upcoming big screen blockbuster Disclosure Day, Signal One explores humankind’s enduring question: what if we aren’t alone in the universe?
The sci-fi thriller is now available on Digital.
Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan), Josh Hutcherson (Five Nights at Freddy’s), David Thewlis (Harry Potter), Raoul Bhaneja (Possessor), Emma Ho (“The Expanse”), and Dennis Quaid (The Substance) star in Signal One from director Jonathan Sobol (The Art of the Steal).
When tech billionaire Sam Houston (Quaid) hires the brilliant computer scientist Annika (Fuhrman), she ventures to an isolated facility run by the brilliant, nihilistic creator of LITTLEMOUTH, a machine which can communicate with alien intelligence.
Annika soon learns some humanity-altering facts: that we are not alone in the universe, that alien intelligences are communicating around us at every moment, and that we are likely too primitive to even remotely understand what they are trying to tell us.
When the goal of the endeavor shifts from listening to talking back, the project rapidly devolves into chaos. With contact comes consequences, and soon Annika and the team must work to ensure the very survival of our species.
A schoolyard dare becomes an urban legend in the creepypasta-inspired horror anthology The Summoning. The indie film is now available on Digital from Brainstorm Media.
“A babysitting gig becomes a nightmare of urban legend when three teens summon Baby Blue. Survival depends on uncovering the past to escape a mother’s wrath from beyond the grave.”
Felipe Vargas (Rosario, Hive), Sergio Gonzalez, Brandon Piskorik, Corey Benson Powers, and Brian Sepanzyk direct the segments. Valeria San Martín, Justina Ceballos, Daniela Flombaum, Nannu Spannauss, Agustín Olcese, and Giovanni Onetti star.
The Summoning is written by Camilo Zaffora.
Happy Death Day actress Jessica Rothe stars as a mom struggling to keep her grip on her sanity and memory in the mind-bending Affection, now available on Digital at home.
In Affection, “Afflicted by a mysterious condition that resets her memory, Ellie becomes trapped in a cyclical nightmare with a man who claims to be her husband. She soon must uncover the horrifying truth of her existence—before she forgets it all again.“
Joseph Cross (“Big Little Lies”) and Julianna Layne (“Chicago P.D.”) also star in the sci-fi horror thriller. Affection marks the feature debut by writer/director BT Meza.
Daniel Kurland wrote in his review out of the film’s premiere, “Affection is steeped in existential questions and fears that plague modern society, while it embraces the ethos of the ’80s through bold body horror. Add to that Rothe’s revelatory performance, and Affection is a hidden gem that will connect with your mind, body, and soul.”
Lucile Hadžihalilović’s latest dark fairy tale, The Ice Tower, loosely reimagines Hans Christian Andersen’s fable “The Snow Queen,” and it’s now streaming on Shudder.
In the ’70s set film, “Jeanne, a 15-year-old orphan, witnesses the shoot of a film adaptation of the fairy tale The Snow Queen, and she becomes fascinated by its star Cristina (Marion Cotillard), an actress who is just as mysterious and alluring as the Queen she is playing.“
Clara Pacini stars as Jeanne. August Diehl and Marine Gesbert also star in The Ice Tower, and look for a cameo from director Gaspar Noé (Climax, Irréversible).
“For me, The Ice Tower solidified Lucile Hadžihalilović’s place amongst the most fascinating creators of fairy tales today,” said distributor Yellow Veil Pictures co-founder Joe Yanick.
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