The dark comedy action thriller movie Sacrifice starring Chris Evans and Anya Taylor-Joy will open in Ukrainian cinemas on September 10, 2026.
The feature film marks the English language directorial debut for French filmmaker Romain Gavras, who previously earned three Grammy nominations for his acclaimed music video work. Gavras co-wrote the screenplay alongside Will Arbery, a prominent playwright and screenwriter best known for his work on the award-winning HBO drama series Succession.
Ukrainian film distributor Adastra Cinema and news agency UNIAN reported the release details for the movie, which explores performative environmental activism and the modern obsession with public approval.
Charity gala in a Greek mine
The story takes place at an elite charity gala held in an unusual and gloomy location inside an authentic Greek mine. High-profile celebrities and world billionaires gather to enjoy an exclusive evening before their party is violently interrupted by a radical eco-activist group.
The activist faction is led by a mysterious and fanatical leader named Joan, played by Anya Taylor-Joy. Joan is convinced that the world stands on the brink of an inevitable catastrophe and claims that humanity can only be saved from an impending apocalypse through the sacrifice of three selected individuals.
Her target list includes Mike Tyler, played by Chris Evans, a Hollywood film star experiencing a severe creative crisis. Joan also selects Ben Bracken, played by Vincent Cassel, who is introduced as the richest man in the world, alongside an accidental guest named Katy, played by Ambika Mod, who initially appears to simply be an unlucky bystander.
Journey through forest and fire
The three hostages are forced to embark on a dangerous journey through dense forests and raging fire. The grueling ordeal becomes a profound test of their basic humanity, forcing Mike Tyler to face the core dilemma of what it truly means to be a hero when trying to save both the world and himself.
Evans built his international reputation playing Steve Rogers in Marvel Studios blockbusters such as Captain America: The First Avenger and Avengers: Endgame. In Sacrifice, he steps into a radically different role as an actor desperately seeking to regain the lost favor of the general public. His recent filmography also includes roles in Knives Out, The Gray Man, Red One, and Materialists.
Taylor-Joy, who achieved global acclaim starring in the Netflix miniseries The Queen's Gambit and featured in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, depicts Joan as an unyielding visionary. She commands her followers with such rigid discipline that the movement resembles a closed religious cult rather than a conventional activist group. Her past screen credits include The Menu, The Gorge, Lockey, and Peaky Blinders.
Star cast and modern archetypes
Director Romain Gavras assembled a cast designed to contrast mainstream Hollywood blockbuster stars with iconic figures from international auteur cinema. Each character in the narrative serves as a deliberate representation of a specific modern archetype.
Vincent Cassel portrays Ben Bracken, an arrogant billionaire genuinely convinced of the absolute power of wealth. Cassel is a veteran French actor renowned for his breakthrough performances in Jan Kounen's Dobermann, Mathieu Kassovitz's La Haine, the thriller The Crimson Rivers, and Darren Aronofsky's Oscar-winning drama Black Swan.
Salma Hayek Pinault plays Bracken's screen wife, whose personal interests and motivations extend far beyond typical high-society socialite parties. Hayek Pinault earned an Academy Award nomination for Frida and starred in From Dusk Till Dawn, House of Gucci, and Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard.
John Malkovich joins the ensemble as Joan's father, bringing intellectual weight to the project. Malkovich is a two-time Oscar nominee known for classic cinema titles including Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun, Stephen Frears's Dangerous Liaisons, Being John Malkovich, Shadow of the Vampire, and Clint Eastwood's Changeling.
Satire of performative activism
Pop music star Charli XCX makes a cameo appearance in the film. She stated that she accepted the role due to her personal friendship with director Gavras as well as her genuine love for satirical storytelling and metatextual commentary.
Gavras, the son of celebrated Greek-French director Costa-Gavras, previously directed prominent music videos for artists including Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner. Following the world premiere of Sacrifice at last year's Toronto International Film Festival, film critics drew comparisons between the movie and well-known satirical works.
Reviewers noted similarities to Swedish director Ruben Östlund's Palme d'Or winner Triangle of Sadness, Mark Mylod's dark culinary comedy The Menu, and Adam McKay's climate allegory Don't Look Up. However, critics emphasized that Gavras's story features significantly more physical action and large-scale set pieces than those films.
Theatrical release details
The film offers a sharp commentary on theatrical environmental campaigns where public stunts and loud slogans replace real ecological change. Beneath its comedic shell and sharp dialogue, the screenplay examines underlying themes of social inequality, institutional hypocrisy, and personal survival.
The movie balances black comedy with tense drama, building toward an emotional ending. Audiences will find out whether the reluctant heroes can accomplish anything useful or if their plight ends in another dramatic media show when Sacrifice opens in Ukrainian theaters on September 10, 2026, through distributor Adastra Cinema.
