Have you noticed how little buzz there is around Romain Gavras’ “Sacrifice”? Despite a handful of TIFF screenings, the film has generated nothing but brutal word of mouth.
Romain Gavras — the music-video provocateur turned filmmaker — is no stranger to bold, confrontational cinema. His last feature, “Athena” (2022), premiered in competition at Venice, where its one-take combustible energy earned him both admirers and detractors.
Three years later, Gavras returns with “Sacrifice,” but this time the film didn’t make the cut for Venice. Instead, it landed at TIFF 2025 — and with a 27% on Rotten Tomatoes score, it may be the festival’s worst-reviewed film.
“Sacrifice,” starring Chris Evans, Anya Taylor-Joy, Salma Hayek, and Vincent Cassel, starts as a satirical jab at eco-celebrity culture: a glitzy Greek gala is interrupted by a doomsday cult demanding human sacrifice to stave off environmental collapse. Howeve, after a promising setup, the film unravels into a celebrity satire. It’s surprisingly flat.
The disappointment is sharpened by Gavras’ trajectory. Where 2018’s “The World is Yours” was a Cannes breakout and “Athena” earned him a marquee spot at Venice, “Sacrifice” is a noticeable step down — a film that Venice passed on and Toronto has now exposed to withering reviews.
At TIFF 2025, Sacrifice has emerged not as a triumph, but as a cautionary tale: the most poorly received film in a lineup that’s not necessarily been lauded, so far, by quality. With still no distribution, Ketchup, Briarcliffe or Vertical might be the film’s best shot.