Sacrifice(2020)
A entertainment lawyer navigates the nefarious lives of her rich and famous clients.
Haunted by the death of his father and other psychological traumas, Daniel returns to the home where he was raised. Faced with intense emotional scars, as well as physical -- which are realized by the years of self-harm depicted by the cuttings adorning his body -- he enters the bathroom to begin a journey of self-exploration, self-mutilation and quite possibly, self-enlightenment. Prepared only with three white candles and some crude instruments, Daniel attempts to beckon the embrace of the Goddess Ishtar to assist him on his self-illumination.
Sacrifice is the story of consultant surgeon, Tora Hamilton, who moves with her husband, Duncan, to the remote Shetland Islands, 100 miles off the north-east coast of Scotland. Deep in the peat soil around her new home, Tora discovers the body of a young woman with rune marks carved into her skin and a gaping hole where her heart once beat. Ignoring warnings to leave well alone, Tora uncovers terrifying links to a legend that might never have been confined to the pages of the story-books.
For generations the Zhao family has wielded power, until their mortal enemy TU’AN GU slaughters the entire clan, determined to wipe out their influence forever. But one Zhao baby survives hidden by CHENG YING the doctor who delivered him. When Tu’an Gu learns of the baby’s escape he seizes every infant in the city, vowing to kill them all unless the Zhao baby is surrendered. As the tyrant’s soldiers arrive at Cheng Ying’s home the frantic doctor hides his wife with their own baby whilst surrendering the Zhao child as his own. But his family is discovered; his baby is presumed to be the Zhao heir and murdered along with his wife for harboring the infant. Now set on revenge Cheng Ying enrolls the Zhao orphan into the service of the Tu’an Gu household, plotting to use him as an instrument of vengeance when he comes of age.
A convicted bank robber breaks free as he is being transported to prison after learning that his daughter has been killed by a serial killer. Determined to find her killer, he joins with a female cop who is working the case. He quickly discovers that his daughter had recently had an abortion, an action common to all of the murdered women. Meanwhile the FBI agent that he escaped from is hot on his trail.
The story addresses the conflict between reformist enlightenment and obsolete, inhuman ritual, questioning the contemporary validity of traditional rituals. The dramatic pivot is the conflict between the king who banned animal sacrifice, and the priest who calls for the king's own blood. Emotionally, the film revolves around the childless queen and a beggar girl whose pet goat has been taken for the sacrifice and who loves a servant in the temple.
Mad scientist, doctor Ten Brinken artificially inseminates a prostitute with a dead man's semen. The resulting child grows up to be a beautiful, evil woman who turns against her creator.