Anya Taylor-Joy Returns to Netflix With New Thriller in 3 Days

Anya Taylor-Joy has enjoyed a profitable relationship with the streaming service Netflix, as evidenced by the success of the 2020 coming-of-age period drama, The Queen's Gambit. Taylor-Joy plays Beth Harmon, an orphaned chess prodigy who embarks on a quest to become the greatest chess player in the world. Between Netflix and Taylor-Joy, the duo were able to make The Queen's Gambit a thought-provoking watch as a woman is yet to win the official overall World Chess Championship in real life. In their next collaboration, Netflix and Taylor-Joy are not backing down from the controversial.

As far as 2026 is concerned, Taylor-Joy has already enjoyed a successful stint as far as movie releases are concerned. The Menu star returned to the Mario universe alongside Chris Pratt earlier this year with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. With a return to the dangers of Arrakis in Dune: Part Three already penciled in for later this year, the film star is poised to join one of the most famous franchises ever when The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum premieres next year. Cast as Seren, an original character, Taylor-Joy will play the role of a Sindar elf assassin and outrider for King Thranduil (Lee Pace) of Mirkwood. However, before joining the forces of good in preparation for a showdown against the Dark Lord, the actress will play a character who does not fight evil, but embodies it.

As part of its October 2026 outlay, Netflix will officially begin streaming Sacrifice in the United States and France on Friday, October 16. The thriller, which may not be particularly controversial, has the potential of being exactly that as it blends into one fiery brew — an actual volcano, a deadly, deranged cult, celebrity culture and eco warriors. Co-starring Chris Evans as Mike Tyler, a film star with his career nosediving, Sacrifice follows as he seeks a comeback, but those plans soon grind to a halt. While in attendance at an exclusive gala, Tyler is snatched by a radical terrorist group led by the enigmatic zealot Joan (played by Taylor-Joy). Joan and her cult are of the belief that tossing Tyler in a volcano nearby would help prevent utter destruction from engulfing the world. Also arriving this week on the streaming service is the fourth season of the Emmy-winning political thriller, The Diplomat and Netflix Originals, The Disciple and Therapy Done Right, among others.

How Good Might 'Sacrifice' Be?

Besides Evans and Taylor-Joy, Sacrifice also stars Vincent Cassel (Black Swan), Salma Hayek Pinault (House of Gucci), John Malkovich (Con Air), Sam Richardson (Veep), and Ambika Mod (One Day). Charli XCX, and Yung Lean also star in the action thriller. Romain Gavras' Sacrifice first made its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2025, where it received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics. The action thriller currently holds a weak approval rating of 37% on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. The official synopsis for Sacrifice reads as follows:

“After the fiery death of their mother, Joan (Anya Taylor-Joy) and her siblings, driven by a mysterious volcanic prophecy, believe it is their duty to cleanse the Earth. Their radical group hijacks a glamorous charity gala and takes three unlikely hostages for a sacrificial ritual: their hero, movie star Mike Tyler (Chris Evans); their villain, pragmatically cold billionaire Ben Bracken (Vincent Cassel); and their lover, an unlucky performer named Katie (Ambika Mod). As the night descends into chaos, both an inward journey and an outward adventure ensue, where the line between performance and belief, salvation and sacrifice, begins to blur.”