The Last Sacrifice is a documentary that begins as a look at the mysterious murder of Charles Walton in a small English village in 1945. While documentarian Rupert Russell does propose theories as to what may have happened, the film is more about the rising popularity of witchcraft in England and the effects it had. It also examines the importance of and fascination with folk horror.
Russell uses talking heads, but the interviews are mainly played over archival footage. This is a good idea since the interviews are conducted in dark candle-lit rooms. This does match the mood of The Last Sacrifice, but it also adds an unintentionally goofy quality to what is an otherwise serious watch.
This will probably end up being one of the most engaging documentaries of the year. The first theory presented is robbery. This leads to the natural question of why would the killing be so brutal. It is a strong start that describes the viscous nature of the killing while also giving an idea of what this part of the world was like.
It is in the lengthy second theory that The Last Sacrifice truly shines. Going beyond the murder, the film looks at how witchcraft became trendy in England. Using clips from folk horror movies and videos of rituals at the time that were shot by actual covens, Russell explores how cinema and real life inform each other. This all culminates in a wonderful moment that shows how a real-life story inspired a Hammer movie which in turn led to someone talking about an encounter they had. Seemingly, no one involved knew anything about the others, but there are amazing similarities.
The third act is not as interesting as the first two, but it provides an excellent twist that all the best true crime documentaries have. The Last Sacrifice does not solve the mystery outright; that is up to the viewer. But it provides some interesting theories and is an amazing true crime/horror documentary
The Last Sacrifice is streaming on Shudder.
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