Sadie Sink, Eric Bana, and Sylvia Hoeks Talk Cults and Loneliness in A Sacrifice
In A Sacrifice, a social psychologist investigates a local cult in Berlin, but things take a turn when his own daughter is drawn into that world thanks to a mysterious young man. Pop Culture Planet’s Kristen Maldonado spoke with actors Sadie Sink, Eric Bana, and Sylvia Hoeks about cults and loneliness.
The cast had their own interest in the controversial topic of cults. “I am a big sucker for cult documentaries or anything group related. It's so interesting. It really intrigues me, human behavior in groups. I go from cult documentaries to Love Island. I eat it all up. Give me more,” enthused Sylvia Hoeks, with Sadie Sink adding: “I definitely had my own interest in cults just because it's such a fascinating subject. There's a lot out there that maybe you wouldn't even think is a cult, but, really when you look at the ins and outs of it, it definitely qualifies as one.”
“I'm old enough to remember the original Jonestown. I remember seeing the footage from that and it was just like, wow, that's just such a bizarre crazy tragic ending to what would have seemed to those people like a utopia,” said Eric Bana. “I've always been really fascinated by them.”
No one has plans to join a cult, but somehow people still find themselves in one. “People don't join a cult. People join something that they believe in and that they find a sense of belonging and reflection and understanding and growth,” shared Hoeks. “Then all of a sudden they seem to be in a cult.”
After dealing with the loss and loneliness of Covid, it makes sense that people are looking for an outlet of support. “It's definitely a time I feel that where a lot of people are lonely. Not just older people, but from every generation, and are looking for a sense of belonging,” said Hoeks, with Bana adding: “The film deals with that really well, this sense of isolation which we've never felt more than in the last five years. I really feel for Sadie’s generation and younger because there was just that period where they missed out on so much.”
The film also deals with trust issues that can arise due to those struggles. “The film deals with a lot of that really interestingly and the way that it pits Ben and Mazzy against each other,” shared Bana. “Even though they love each other as as father and daughter, we both have blind spots by the people that that we meet.”
Hoeks continued: “Nobody just does something for the good of the world. You can be as good for the world as you're trying to be, but there's always a personal goal someone has or personal desire. That's where the vulnerability lies and that's where people sometimes go wrong.”
A Sacrifice is playing in theaters.
