Sacrilege: Strong Female Characters get Wasted (Literally) in Suspense-less Horror
By Thom Ernst
Rating: C+
Despite a memorable opening scene and terrifically spooky music from composer Colin McGinness, director/writer David Creed's Sacrilege fails to adhere to all good horror films' sacred oath to build suspense.
Sacrilege is a movie cut from the Shirley Jackson portfolio of creepy normalcy turned on its head. But despite a few rather gripping scenes, and a cast that is qualified to pull it off, the movie lacks intensity and a feeling of dread that would have been a driving force in fulfilling the horror element the film proposes to bring.
Creed's most realized characters are all women, two of whom are lesbian. The women take the main stage. The men, a handsome young hitchhiker (Jon Glasgow), a (supposedly) menacing groundskeeper (Rory Wilton), an uncomfortably comforting pagan priest (Ian Champion), and a malicious ex-con (Conner McKenzy), take on lesser if not insignificant roles. Mostly insignificant.
Four young women make a spontaneous decision to recharge their friendship and get back into a mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy place. It seems as if the long-time friends have gone through a bit of an upset.
Two of the women were a couple until one cheated. Another suffered a traumatic experience at the hands of a male attacker. The attacker is now free from prison without restraints to prevent him from intimidating his victim.
On route, the women pick up a handsome hitchhiker. He advises them of a pagan festival happening, and they should join. Shades of Wicker Man, Midsommar, and The Lottery all come rushing to mind.
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“Don't do it!" we want to scream, but we don't have to. The women don't have much interest in pagan rituals other than the promise of some good hallucinogenics to go with it. Yes, the women will eventually get to the event, but the film forgoes any sense of impending doom as it goes about the business of mending relationships,
Tamaryn Payne, Emily Wyatt, Sian Abrams, and Naomi Willow are the four friends, opening the door for us to care about their relationships. Rarely does the horror in a horror film take a back seat to the film's romantic drama thread. The relationship between Kayla (Payne) and Trish (Wyatt), aside from an unnecessary made-for-TV rated love scene, is more interesting than any potential threat.
But just when everything seems to be going swimmingly (literally), the handsome hitchhiker shows up and convinces them to join the party… I mean, ceremony. The pagan procedures are too silly for the women to take seriously, and that, I suppose, is where the title comes in.
But they play along, including writing down their biggest fear. Each woman writes down the thing that frightens them most: dogs, aging, bugs, and the name of a recently released prisoner. Then they abide in drinking the promised hallucinogenic and (almost) topless dancing.
The next day the fears they thought had turned to ash come to haunt them.
Once the horror element kicks in, the movie gains a different momentum. But without the build-up and a foundation of dread, its arrival seems misplaced. And the women become little more than lambs for the slaughter.
Creed hasn't just let down horror fans; he's done a disservice to his characters. Strong female characters get wasted in every possible meaning of the word.
Sacrilege. Written and directed by David Creed. Starring Tamaryn Payne, Emily Wyatt, Sian Abrams, and Naomi Willow. Available March 11 on Amazon, iTunes and on DVD.