Sacrifice

Ben, an American social psychologist, is living and working in Berlin following his separation from his wife in California. He is dedicated to studying cults and their dynamics while adjusting to his new life. His daughter Mazzy is set to join him for a semester, marking a new chapter for both.

Mazzy arrives in Berlin and experiences confusion while trying to navigate the train system, leading her to ask for help from Martin, a stranger. Meanwhile, Ben receives a call about a cult mass suicide at a suburban house which he visits with Max to investigate the scene.

Ben and Max arrive at the crime scene where they find a group of people who have taken cyanide pills in shifts, each with seashells in their mouths and black smears on their cheeks. The scene is methodically staged, indicating a cult-related mass ritual or suicide.

Mazzy tries to settle into her new life, attending school and spending time with Martin, who introduces her to environmental activism. She also gets involved in activities with Hilma's cult group, forging new connections and exploring her interests.

Flashbacks reveal Martin’s close relationship with his grandmother and her death, which leaves him heartbroken. He shares that his parents died in a car accident and he now lives alone, indicating a troubled past contributing to his current behavior.

A girl is found drowned in a lake with stones in her pockets. Nina dismisses the death as unrelated to the mass suicide, as the body lacks cult-specific markings. This event expands the investigation into the cult's activities.

Ben and Nina spend time together, deepening their bond, while Mazzy begins to suspect that Nina has a romantic connection with Ben. Meanwhile, Mazzy is drawn deeper into Hilma's cult group, listening to lectures and forming a bond with Hilma.

Mazzy finds evidence of Ben and Nina’s relationship when she sees them kissing. She confronts Ben, becoming upset and deciding to stay at Elsa’s house, feeling betrayed by his secrecy and involvement with Nina.

Mazzy disguises her plans and meets Larissa, going to an underground club to drink and do drugs. Martin intervenes when he sees a man trying to pressure Mazzy, stabbing him with a broken bottle. Mazzy and Larissa sleep in the park, feeling unsafe to go home.

Martin, Hilma, and the cult members take Mazzy to the cult center, where she resists an initiation ritual. Hilma then knocks her out with chloroform and orders Martin to bring her to the lake for further instructions, marking her increasingly deep involvement.

Ben, realizing Mazzy is missing, contacts Max and the police. He uncovers that Hilma and Nina are part of a manipulative cult, orchestrating the events and using Mazzy as a pawn in their plans. The true purpose of the mass suicides begins to unravel.

As the cult prepares for a mass ritual, all members don robes, place seashells in their mouths, and carve ash on their faces before setting themselves on fire. Hilma leaves the scene as the others self-immolate, driven by her cult beliefs and control.

Mazzy, still dazed, sleeps in the lake and hallucinates Lotte beckoning her. Ben finds her, dives into the water, and rescues her, bringing her back to safety. The cult members, except Hilma, are shown dying in the flames.

In the closing scene, Elsa watches a video of Hilma online, staring entranced as Mazzy once did. This suggests the lasting influence of the cult’s ideology, leaving an ominous feeling about the cycle of manipulation and faith.