Anya Taylor-Joy has been a reliable draw for Netflix ever since her breakout turn in The Queen's Gambit (2020), where she played a chess prodigy battling personal demons while chasing greatness. That collaboration proved to be a cultural touchstone, and now the streaming giant is reuniting with the actress for a much darker, more explosive project.
Set to premiere on October 16, 2026, in the U.S. and France, Sacrifice is an action thriller that throws together a real volcano, a fanatical cult, celebrity obsession, and eco-activism into one volatile mix. Taylor-Joy plays Joan, a charismatic zealot who leads a radical group convinced that sacrificing a famous figure will prevent global catastrophe. Her target? Mike Tyler, a movie star whose career is on the skids, played by Chris Evans.
The plot kicks off when Tyler is kidnapped during an exclusive gala by Joan's followers, who intend to toss him into a nearby volcano as part of a ritual to cleanse the Earth. What follows is a chaotic night where the lines between performance and belief, salvation and sacrifice, blur in unexpected ways.
Joining Taylor-Joy and Evans is a stacked ensemble that includes Vincent Cassel (Black Swan), Salma Hayek Pinault (House of Gucci), John Malkovich (Con Air), Sam Richardson (Veep), and Ambika Mod (One Day). Musicians Charli XCX and Yung Lean also make appearances, adding an extra layer of pop-culture intrigue.
Directed by Romain Gavras, Sacrifice first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025, where it received a mixed-to-negative reception. Critics were divided on its tonal shifts and over-the-top premise, and the film currently sits at a 37% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, the combination of Taylor-Joy's intense presence and Evans's everyman charm could make it a guilty pleasure for subscribers.
For Taylor-Joy, 2026 has already been a busy year. She voiced a character in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie alongside Chris Pratt, and she's set to return to the desert planet in Dune: Part Three later this year. Next year, she'll join the Lord of the Rings universe in The Hunt for Gollum, playing Seren, a Sindar elf assassin and outrider for King Thranduil. But before she suits up for Middle-earth, she's embracing the role of a villain—or at least a morally ambiguous antagonist—in Sacrifice.
Netflix is also rolling out other new titles the same week, including the fourth season of the Emmy-winning political thriller The Diplomat, along with originals like The Disciple and Therapy Done Right. If you're in the mood for a high-concept thriller with a killer cast, Sacrifice might be worth a watch—even if the critics weren't sold.
For more on what's coming to streaming, check out our list of Netflix fantasy gems that never had a bad season or see how Chris Pratt's pre-John Wick thriller found new life on Starz. And if you're a fan of twisty crime stories, you might enjoy this six-episode crime thriller that outperformed Breaking Bad.
