'A Sacrifice' reminded Sadie Sink, Eric Bana of real-life sacrifices

LOS ANGELES, June 27 (UPI) -- Stars Sadie Sink and Eric Bana said their new movie, A Sacrifice , in theaters Friday, reminded them of the real-life sacrifices they've each made. The thriller is about an American father and daughter who become ensnared by a cult in Berlin.

Bana, 55, plays psychologist Ben, who has authored books about cults, and Sink, 22, plays his daughter, Mazzy. Sink said any achievement requires some sacrifice.

"I think the greater something is, the more impactful it is, the more sacrifices have to be made for it," Sink told UPI in a recent Zoom interview. "Especially right now, we all want to feel like we're a part of something."

The cult in the film demands sacrifices that could be their members' very lives. But the cult promises that by contributing, they will be part of the greater good enabling a select few to survive through planetary collapse.

"With an issue so large, we can feel pretty helpless and small so we rely on these kind of charismatic leaders," Sink said. "It's a very malicious angle that this particular cult in this film takes."

Though the cult in A Sacrifice takes its mission to horrific extremes that will not be spoiled, Sink said her sacrifices include the ones she and her family have made for her career. Sink began acting regularly at age 11.

"For every good thing comes a little thing you have to maybe give up," Sink said. "Every day you encounter that."

Sink said she would change nothing about her career but realizes that she traded a traditional childhood to be on sets and go on auditions. Sadie said her parents sacrificed to accommodate that schedule, too.

"It's a huge sacrifice we make but one that is well worth it," Sink said.

Bana said he related to the sacrifices Ben makes to be a father. Even though he is divorced, Ben balances his job with giving Mazzy a home in Berlin.

"Whether it be work or parenthood or friendships, anything truly worthwhile takes a little bit of a sacrifice," Bana said, adding that a relationship "takes a little bit of giving something of yourself to the other side in order to be a part of something."

In Berlin, Ben meets Nina (Sylvia Hoeks), a woman who preys upon Ben's willingness to sacrifice for a relationship. Bana said Nina appeals to Ben's ego by showing interest in his work as an author.

"In a way, she kind of starts to become his cult leader in some ways and makes him question things," Bana said. "Nina is Ben's blind spot and makes him vulnerable to the thing that he's supposedly an expert on."

Mazzy is open to meeting new people her own age in Berlin. Sink said she also related to Mazzy discovering a group who seem to share values.

"I think she still wants to claim her own identity," Sink. "So she really opens herself up to new experiences especially in a city like Berlin."

Bana said he was especially sensitive to young people of Sink's generation seeking community. Having spent many formative years in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bana said, bad actors can prey upon their vulnerabilities.

"We all have an innate desire to be loved and to feel part of something," Bana said. "So how do we find that? Where does that take us?"

In A Sacrifice , it takes Ben and Mazzy to frightening places. It took Sink to a water tank for several scenes in which Mazzy is underwater.

Mazzy's exploration of the cult involves submerging, bringing back memories of an earlier near-drowning. Sink said she learned scuba breathing with the film's stunt coordinator so she could remain submerged for multiple takes.

"That's a very interesting sensation to be down there and be getting your oxygen while you're several feet underwater," Sink said. "By the end of the day, I think I got the hang of it."