Exclusive: Romain Gavras on Sacrifice and why changing the world begins with changing yourselfâ

The film unfolds at a glamorous charity gala that descends into chaos when Joan, played by Taylor-Joy, and her radical followers take hostages as part of a mission they believe could save humanity.

Evans plays Mike Tyler, a movie star grappling with an existential crisis, while Vincent Cassel features as billionaire Ben Bracken. As the characters are pushed into an extraordinary situation, the film examines the space between professed beliefs and the choices people are willing to make for them.

Gavras, who co-wrote the film with Will Arbery, sees faith as a force that can take different forms, from genuine selflessness to vanity and the performance of idealism.

He says, “What happens when radical idealism meets reality and vanity? This may come off as a bit cliché but I truly believe that changing the world begins with changing yourself—doing something selfless, making a leap of faith. Ultimately, Sacrifice is a film about faith—looking for it, faking it, having too much of it, or having none at all. Jumping into a volcano is what we do when we decide to fall in love with someone, when we decide to stand for something. This is the decision our hero will have to make at the end of the film. It’s what we did when we decided to make an ambitious, singular film that has no template. Again, faith.”

The idea of taking a leap into the unknown also connects with Gavras’ approach to filmmaking. The French director has built a body of work across feature films and music videos, including Athena (2022), as well as videos for artists such as M.I.A. and Jay-Z and Kanye West.

Sacrifice premieres on Lionsgate Play in India on October 16.