Rafe Spall

Arsher Ali

Robert James-Collier

Sam Troughton

Paul Reid

Matthew Needham

Jacob James Beswick

Maria Erwolter

Hilary Reeves

Peter Liddell

Francesca Mula

Kerri McLean

Gheorghe Mezei

Adriana Macsut

Constantin Codrea

Zane Jarcu

Zoe Cooper

David Bruckner

Joe Barton

Adam Nevill

Jonathan Cavendish

Richard Holmes

Patricia Poienaru

Andy Serkis

Mark Towns

Julie Harkin

Adrian Curelea

Ana Ioneci

Teo Bostanica

Katie Bullock-Webster

Mihai Busuioc

Katie Shahrokh

Valeriu Chiran

Liam Lock

Delmi Thomas

Cristian Baluta

Butiseaca Florin

Florin Gavrila

Adi Handac

Dinica Tiberiu

Marius Emil Stanescu

Luke Gentry

Dominic Gibbs

Ben Meechan

Nick Allder

Ron Karkoska

Stephen Nixon

Andy Fraser

Ciprian Dumitrașcu

Catalin Ciobanu

Vlad Cioplea

Radu Marinescu

Florin Niculae

Bogdan Stanciu

Paul Elman

Thora Woodward

Andra Barbuica

Dana Boghean-Melconian

Xavier Marchand

Phil Robertson

Will Tennant

Ron Ames

Ben Lovett

Lidia Ivanov

Elena Nastasia Mateiu

Parpala Mara

Keith Thompson

Andrew Shulkind

Peter Burgis

Zoe Freed

Jemma Riley-Tolch

Adam Horley

Lupsa Armand

Catalin Voinea

Domnica Circiumaru

Raluca Tataru

Kim Honeyman

Elisa Scubla

Catalin Chiorean

Marcu Ion

Marius Florian

Mihai Ionita

Diana Ghinea

Gina Calin

Glen Gathard

James Gregory

Mihnea Bogos

Steve Neal

Teddy Cavendish

Cristian Dragos

Alexandru Durac

Florin Ion

Matt Watson

Horror

Thriller

Mystery

The Ritual

Entertainment One

The Imaginarium

Sierra/Affinity

Canada

United Kingdom

United States of America

English

svenska

robbery

monster

based on novel or book

nightmare

sweden

hiking

scandinavia

forest

friends

grief

murder

cabin

guilt

survival horror

pagan

norse mythology

guilty conscience

folk horror

lost in the woods

depressing

Gimly

I'm sorry, but who the fuck, with no promotional material, and with a name as generic as _The_ fuckin' _Ritual_, told this movie, it was allowed to be so good?

_Final rating:★★★½ - I really liked it. Would strongly recommend you give it your time._

RELEASED IN 2017 and directed by David Bruckner, "The Ritual" is a psychological adventure/horror about four British dudes in their 30s who embark on a hike in remote northern Sweden wherein it slowly becomes evident that some THING is stalking them in the dark woods. Will any of them make it out alive? 

This is basically a meshing of “The Blair Witch Project” (1999) and “Ogre” (2008), but without the tongue-in-cheekiness of the latter. There’s also a little bit of “The Wicker Man” (1973/2006). Like “Blair Witch” the foul-mouthed protagonists become increasingly horrified in the foreboding forest and eventually turn on one another. But the sylvan cinematography is leagues superior due to the spectacular Romanian locations as opposed to the pedestrian film-work of “Blair Witch” in Maryland (which is understandable since the latter is a “found-footage” flick).

I’m not going to give-away the creature, which isn’t fully revealed until the last fifteen minutes, but it’s basically a hybrid of the monsters in “The Relic” (1997) and “Wendigo” (2001), albeit bigger, and superior to both. The second half deviates from the book and people complain about it, but it’s superior to the lame black metal cult of the book IMHO and you can’t beat one potent sequence that smacks of hell-on-earth. There’s also an intriguing element about achieving nigh-immortality at the price of submissive veneration. Despite these positives, the movie’s a little uneventful and humdrum, plus it's lacking in the female department.                

The movie runs 1 hour 34 minutes and was shot entirely in Romania. WRITERS: Joe Barton wrote the script based on Adam Nevill’s 2012 novel. CAST: The four protagonists are played by Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali, Robert James-Collier and Sam Troughton. 

GRADE: B/B- (6.5/10)

The Ritual is a monster movie with psychological ambitions and seemingly a decent budget. The jötunn monster is actually quite good and so are the cyclic re-enactments of the early on liquor store trauma. Unfortunately the rest of the movie is as bland as the title and relies too much on exotism of the deep Swedish forests. Sadly even that component gets watered out and the endgame cultists seem to be some recycled wiccans from Scotland rather than pre-christians of northern Scandinavia.

David Bruckner's The Ritual is an atmospheric horror film that effectively combines psychological tension with a touch of the supernatural. The story follows four friends on a hiking trip in the Scandinavian wilderness, where they encounter not only the haunting landscape but also their own fears and regrets.

What sets The Ritual apart is the authenticity of the characters and their relationships. The dialogue and interactions feel natural, and the bond between the friends comes across as genuine, with years of shared history subtly woven into their exchanges. This grounding in realism makes the escalating terror all the more impactful.

The film takes its time building suspense, though some scenes linger longer than necessary, and certain dialogues feel repetitive. These moments, while noticeable, don’t detract significantly from the overall experience. The latter part of the movie veers into unexpected territory, delivering an unsettling and imaginative climax that feels fresh in a genre often bound by convention.

Visually, the film is stunning, with the eerie forest serving as a character in its own right, amplifying the isolation and dread. The Ritual succeeds in blending human drama with horror, creating a story that's both haunting and deeply relatable. While not without minor flaws, it’s a compelling watch for fans of atmospheric and character-driven horror.

The Ritual | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix

THE RITUAL (2017) Official UK Trailer HD, David Bruckner

The Ritual( 2017)

Your darkest dream awaits you.

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A review by Gimly

Written by Gimly on Wed Feb 14 2018

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