‘The Sacrament’ Asks ‘What If VICE Witnessed The Jonestown Massacre?’ [Video]

There’s no arguing that the infamous Jonestown Massacre was a fascinating example of how vulnerable people can be roped into community, accept groupthink, and ultimately about the overwhelming danger of egotistical leadership gone too far. There’s no telling if director Ti West‘s new film The Sacrament aims to discuss any of those issues on any intellectual level, but the phenomenally engaging trailer at least seems to suggest as much.

The real Jim Jones was the mastermind behind the Peoples Temple, a church based in the US during the 70s that preached unity and community. Jones ultimately helped establish an agricultural project in Guyana called Jonestown, which was a sort of village built by his followers for his followers. It was here that he initiated a mass suicide that killed over 900 people, forcing them to their deaths after a blowout with US media who’d come to visit the establishment.

If there’s anything ‘off’ about The Sacrament based on this trailer, it’s that it’s a bit of a commercial for VICE, but hey.

 

And if you’ve got the time, there’s also a fascinating documentary that tells the complex story of Jim Jones and his followers, leading up to their eventual mass suicide at Jonestown. Check it out right here.