FIGHTING FIRE WITH SATIRE
HOW
SACRIFICE
TAKES HOLLYWOOD GLITZ TO TASK
CHRIS EVANS IS no stranger to multiverses. And so it’s fitting that in Romain Gavras’ Sacrifice he is — to a degree — playing an alternative version of himself. As Mike, Evans embodies a world-famous movie star. Except this guy has gone off the reservation, donning a toga and wielding a flamethrower at a red-carpet premiere, chastising the phoniness of Hollywood as he “burns it all down”. Oh, and he’s developing a bald spot. “There were definitely things to draw on from his point of view,” says Gavras about Evans playing a constantly scrutinised star. “We cranked the button to 11, the scope of the actor and him being confused by reality and what’s happening to him.” That confusion fuels Sacrifice’s premise, which sees Mike attend a “bullshit charity gala” (as Gavras calls it), his first public outing since his toga incident. Things take a dark turn when he’s taken hostage by a cult, led by Anya Taylor-Joy’s Joan, who believe three people need to be thrown into a volcano to save the world. Yet Mike starts to enjoy the positive media coverage, getting more into the whole idea. “It’s not that far-fetched, and it’s cool to jump into a volcano,” jokes Gavras.