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A couple expecting their first child head to a remote Norwegian village after a death in the family only to find themselves caught up in a deadly cult.

There’s something lurking deep in the Norwegian Fjords in Andy Collier and Toor Milan’s atmospheric chiller, inspired by the short story Men of the Cloth by Paul Kane and the works of H.P. Lovecraft.

Young couple Emma (Sophie Stevens, The Haunted) and Isaac (Ludovic Hughes) have clearly never seen folk horror movies like The Wicker Man or Midsomar, and are surprised when initially met with hostility by the locals of the remote Norwegian island where Isaac grew up. Isaac and his mother left the family home in a hurry when he was a child and he’s returned to claim his inheritance.

What initially appears to be xenophobia is followed by strange rituals and customs, and talk of the Slumbering One. Emma becomes concerned by Isaac’s erratic behaviour, and even local sheriff Renate (Barbara Crampton, Re-Animator) is hiding a large secret. All too late, the couple realise they are never going to leave.

Screened at last Halloween’s FrightFest digital festival, this is a beautiful-looking slow-burn horror movie. Crampton is great as the cop, her blue eyes and blonde hair making her a credible local with an authentic accent (to these ears anyway). The two young leads are fine in these familiar roles, though Emma would benefit from being a more sympathetic character, at times here coming across as bratty.

The Lovecraftian influence is strong, particularly The Shadow over Innsmouth, the movie’s previous title being the splendid-sounding The Colour of Madness. Unfortunately, Sacrifice is a far more generic title, betraying the cosmic horror of the piece. The tension is well built, though the over-reliance on fake-out dreams shocks does wear thin. And those waiting for the emergence of the giant, tentacled Cthulhu beast at the end… just watch what happens.

Verdict: Brimming with dread and utilising some unfamiliar locations, Sacrifice is a familiar tale, but classily told. 7/10

Nick Joy