Netflix's big October 16 bet is Sacrifice, a dark comedy-thriller that throws a fading movie star into the middle of a climate-cult hostage crisis. Chris Evans plays Mike Tyler, a washed-up action hero desperate to revive his career by attending a lavish charity gala. Anya Taylor-Joy plays Joan, a radical cult leader who storms the event with her followers and takes the guests hostage. The collision of Hollywood ego and extremist ideology is the engine of director Romain Gavras' latest film.

The cult's demand is as bizarre as it is terrifying: they believe the world will end in three days unless three people are sacrificed to a nearby volcano. What unfolds is a tense, satirical pressure cooker in which Tyler must confront his own vanity and the shallow celebrity culture around him simply to survive the night. The film blends suspense with a wicked sense of humor, skewering performative activism, extreme wealth, and the way humanity talks about the climate crisis without actually doing anything about it.

The ensemble around the two leads is stacked. Vincent Cassel plays billionaire gala host Ben Bracken, with Salma Hayek as his wife, while John Malkovich appears as Gunnar. Charli XCX takes on the role of Mother Nature, and the cast is rounded out by Sam Richardson, Ambika Mod, Yung Lean, Jade Croot, and Miriam Silverman. It is one of the most eclectic lineups Netflix has assembled for a single film this year.

Gavras, the son of celebrated filmmaker Costa-Gavras, started his career directing music videos for major artists before moving into features, and he brings that visual boldness here. He revealed that half the film was shot inside a gigantic working marble mine in northern Greece, which the production transformed into the gala venue. Marble was still being excavated on part of the site while the cast walked around in formal wardrobe — organized chaos, as he described it, and it gives the film an unmistakable texture.

The release arrives at a turbulent moment for the streamer, which has just overhauled its content leadership with Peter Rice taking over as chief content officer. The shake-up, which followed the sudden exit of Bela Bajaria after a decade at the company, has the whole industry watching how Netflix's film slate performs in the final quarter of the year.

Sacrifice is streaming on Netflix from October 16, and early reactions will tell whether audiences embrace its mix of comedy and dread. For viewers who enjoy their thrillers with a satirical edge, our write-up of Nathan Fielder's unsettling new film offers another off-kilter option this season. With awards season approaching, a bold swing like this could also find its champions among critics.