Sacrifice (2016)

sacrificeIn the remote Shetland Islands of Scotland, legends of ritual sacrifices of surrogate mothers to great warriors’ children crop back up after Dr. Tora Hamilton arrives with her husband to his homeland after losing a child.  Soon after, Tora finds a body in her new yard, minus the heart which sends her on a hunt for the truth. Director Peter A. Dowling wrote the script based on the novel of the same name by Sharon (S.J.) Bolton.

Not having read the novel, this viewer cannot compare the film to it.  However, what can be talked about is how Dowling wrote the characters, their lives, and their dialogue for the screen which shows that the man knows what he is doing.  Also being the director here allows him more control as to how his script is brought to the screen, which is done here with talent for a second-time director.  The film feels as though it has been written and directed by someone with much more experience and it has the look and ambiance needed to support the story’s mystery and folk tales connections, something that is not always easy to do without over doing it.  Dowling crafts a layered story which develops slowly but is not boring.

It’s not a high action film but the story here does not call for that as it has everything it needs to keep the viewer’s attention with that.  The one negative here may be the pacing which is a bit slow in parts making the film feel a bit longer than its roughly 90 minutes run time. The cast in Sacrifice is a talented bunch who bring their characters to life on screen.  The one with the most to work with in terms of dialogue, action, and emotions is Radha Mitchell as Dr. Tora Hamilton, a woman torn by not being able to have a child of her own who relocates for the sake of adopting a child and who gets thrown in a crazy situation.  The way she portrays the mother losing a child, the grieving mom, the excitement of adoption, and her investigation of what is going on around is very well done; she shows range and honesty in her emotions.

Also, her American accent is quite good, which is not always that easy when surrounded by people with accents closer to her own than to an American one.  The rest of the cast is also strong, which indicates either very good casting of strong performers, a good script, a good director, or a combination of these. The setting for this film almost completely makes it, the Scottish Shetland Islands are beautiful.  The weather is a bit grey, but the décor is so green.  Also, it’s an interesting setting which allows the exploration of Scottish folklore and legends.  This is done in a way where the possibility of supernatural dealings is implied, while handling the situation with a cult-like group which adds to the mystery.

The greyness of the place contrasting with the lush greens goes along the situation that the lead finds herself in, as to her emotions being conflicted between her grieving over her lost child along with the mysteries she uncovers compared with the happiness she is given when adoption becomes an option to bring her dream of motherhood closer to reality. Sacrifice is an entertaining thriller that has made me curious about reading the book and about seeing more from the director.  The pacing could have been tightened a bit in sports as a few parts felt long, however the overall film is able to sustain this.  The settings are great, the acting very good, maming it a good film, but it also felt like it could have been even better.  Worth a watch for sure but one must expect it to feel a bit like a Lifetime Network movie in some parts.