Ti West is a name cinephiles tend to drop when discussing horror films amongst themselves.
A much more well-known name in horror you may have heard over the past decade is that of Eli Roth.
The two could not have more polarizing takes on the genre yet they've teamed up (West as writer and director, Roth as producer) to make The Sacrament, a movie about a hippie commune with a dark secret.
Eli Roth is a terrific filmmaker but his presence is not felt here at all.
It's very possible that Roth's name is only attached to lend credence to a film that people not overly familiar with non-mainstream horror might otherwise dismiss.
That's a good thing as far as I'm concerned, both in that Roth's over-the-top gore approach would do this film a great disservice and Ti West deserves to be part of the conversation when recommending movies to your uncle Larry.
The Sacrament tells the story of two "VICE" journalists trying to help their friend track down his sister who has joined a religious commune somewhere outside the US.
"Eden Parish" is run by the mysterious "Father," a smooth talking man of God who has convinced over a hundred people to sell all their worldly possessions (including their homes) and donate the money to the church.
The parish seems to love their way of life and the community they've built form the ground up, but most of all, they love Father.
And then things get insane.
If you're not a fan of "found footage" style horror, rest assured The Sacrament uses this device cleverly and not as an excuse to make you seasick or taunt you with "jump scares.
"In a sly nod to Funny Games, the camera (and audience by proxy) is even subtly implicated in setting off the horrific events that unfold on screen.
It's should be clear by now that Ti West is an honor student of horror cinema and knows how to apply what he's learned in a fresh and exciting way.
"Slow burn" is the term (and abused dead horse) often used when describing West's storytelling and that's somewhat true here as well.
It's interesting to note though that when compared to his first two films House of the Devil andThe Innkeepers, this is a much more fast-paced experience in which the entire final hour has you trying to catch your breath.
That said, West does spend plenty of time making sure all the exposition we need is given organically over the first 40 minutes of the film rather than blurted out by vacationing teenagers in the opening scene.
This is mostly accomplished by telling this story as though it were being filmed for the TV documentary series, "VICE.
"The use of VICE's documentary style as a means of narrating this story is ingenious.
Not once did I not feel like this wasn't actual filmed events, something I haven't experienced since seeing The Blair Witch Project in an empty theater BY MYSELF.
But enough patting West on the back.
The real star of this film is Father, played by the compelling Gene Jones (how apt)!Jones chews up the scenery every time he steps into frame.
You want to spend more time with Father even if you suspect he may not be as forthcoming as he claims to be.
It's unfortunate that most of the other major players don't seem to be able to rise to Jones' level as he gives them plenty to work with.
The only other performance worth mentioning is that of Amy Seimetz who plays the missing sister, Caroline.
She is completely convincing as an idealist with just a touch of crazy in her eyes.
Other than that, our two main protagonists and their friend are either too quick to freak out or just plain boring to watch, making us care not so much at all about what fate has in store for them.
In the end, The Sacrament is another win for Ti West and fans of smart horror films.
Lackluster performances by a few cast members cannot take away from the excellence that Gene Jones brings to the part of Father and while the story may be familiar to people who were around when Jonestown was making headline, it's definitely one worth revisiting.
For those who are coming to this fresh faced, the less you know about this movie the better.
I've been intentionally vague in my review as even the trailer haphazardly gives away nearly every nail-biting scene in this film.
Just watch The Sacrament, get scared and try to catch your breath as credits roll.