*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*
“Christmas Killers strike again…”
The Sacrifice Game released on Shudder on December 8th 2023. The horror film stars Olivia Scott Welch, Mena Massoud, Chloe Levine, Madison Baines, and Georgia Acken. It runs for approximately an hour and forty minutes.
Set in the 1970’s, two boarding school students are stuck there for Christmas, but when a cult of vicious killers show up at their door looking to summon a demon, they must figure out a way to survive.
Here is the trailer:
The Sacrifice Game may seem like your average home invasion thriller at first glance, but it provides the audience with plenty of deadly twists and turns to keep us invested. Is it worthy of YOUR next watch? Let’s find out…
The Pros:
The time period works to its advantage.
Similar to X, I thought that this film successfully channeled the 1970’s vibe it was going for. From the music, to the hair, to the clothes, it nailed it. A lot of films try to slap on a time period to make themselves stand out, but I thought that The Sacrifice Game truly embodied this era effortlessly. The muted lighting worked well too and I love how this film was shot.
Entertaining villains.
The opening scene of this film was jaw-dropping in a good way. It didn’t hold anything back and let loose with lots of blood and gore to reel horror fans in. As the film progressed, I found myself particularly drawn to the villains. They were actually a lot of fun and they lightened up some of the heavy content.
The actresses playing the two school girls did a great job with what they were given as well and showed off their range.
I also really liked that this film wasn’t afraid to break out of the standard home invasion genre and hit us with plenty of twists and turns, making this a much more unique watch. While not all of the reveals landed for me, I appreciated the effort here.
The Cons:
Loses its way in the middle…
This film featured a strong opening and ending, but the pacing suffered a lot in the middle of the film. This movie wasn’t long, but certain parts felt really dragged out for me and I think it could have benefited from being a touch shorter.
Some of the dialogue was also pretty dull and uninspiring, but the plot made up for that. This film was good, but it could have been truly exceptional if a few minor tweaks had been made.
So am I in or out?
I’m in!!!
The Sacrifice Game successfully carves its way into the holiday horror genre, keeping us guessing until the very end.
While this film was far from perfect, I found it to be really entertaining and I hope to see Fear Street’s Olivia Scott Welch in more horror entries soon because she rocked this role and then some!
I hope you enjoyed the review and please feel free to share your thoughts on The Sacrifice Game in the comments section!
Best,
Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl
IN THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS, HER NIGHT FROM HELL HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN…
After working the night shift, Ashley becomes entangled in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with a local street gang, forcing her to come up with a plan to survive the night by turning the tables on them.
Ashley must fight for her life and take them out one by one if she wants to make it to morning…
My young adult revenge thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!
Make it Through the Night is available here!
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