The Holdoversisn’t the only movie out this year about getting stuck at boarding school for the holidays. But as the new trailer forThe Sacrifice Gameshows, these students have a lot more to worry about than a cantankerousPaul Giamatti.Entertainment Weeklyhas the new trailer for the upcoming horror film, which features two teenage girls stuck at their boarding school, the Blackvale School for Girls, over the holidays. They make the mistake of letting four friendly strangers in for Christmas - only to quickly find out that they’re a demon-worshipping cult intent on summoning a creature from beyond. Worse, the only way to do that is to perform a few human sacrifices - but the two girls aren’t going to make it easy for them.
The film takes place in 1971, and is inspired by the panic surrounding theCharles Mansonmurders of the era. It is the sophomore feature by directorJenn Wexler, who previously directed the 2019 slasherThe Ranger; Collider’sWes SkinnerdeemedThe Rangerto be agreat punk rock horror movie, dubbing it “refreshingly simple in the unfolding of its plot, all while providing just enough substance before the breezy runtime reaches its climax.“The Sacrifice Gamewill premiere on Shudder December 8, just in time for some holiday horror viewing.
Who are the Stars of ‘The Sacrifice Game’?
The two Blackvale students will be played by newcomersMadison Baines(1UP) andGeorgia Acken(Circuit Breakers). Their teacher will be played byChloe Levine(The OA); Olympic skier andAmerican Horror Story: 1984starGus Kenworthywill appear as her handyman boyfriend. The quartet of cult killers will be portrayed byOlivia Scott Welch(Fear Street,Lucky Hank),Derek Johns(The Boys,Essex County),Laurent Pitre(Future Man), andMena Massoud(Aladdin, Reprisal). Director Wexler was excited to subvert Massoud’s Disney prince image: “We think of him as this sweet charming guy, this Disney hero. I thought it would be so fun to play with those expectations, and to twist them, and to make him really evil. Mena was so excited to go on that journey.”
The Sacrifice Gamepremiered at the Fantastia International Film Festival early this year, and was well-received. It currently has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Wexler has been working on the film for over a decade; in addition to directing it, she also produced, and wrote the script with her partnerSean Redlitz.
The Sacrifice Gamewill stream on Shudder starting December 8. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
