The Ritual
Following the sudden, violent death of their best mate, four young men reunite for a hike through the Scandinavian wilderness. Deep in the black, Nordic forest they find themselves lost in a hell of sinister nightmares and pagan sacrifices. For these ancient woods are home to a malevolent deity which will force them to face the darkness inside themselves.
9 April 1984, Nottingham, England, UK
13 April 1984, UK
12 May 1971, Bralia, Romania
10 March 1983, Camberwell, London, England, UK
23 September 1976, Stockport, Greater Manchester, England, UK
21 March 1977
January 19, 2018
The core cast all play a part in making the viewer care. There's panic, terror, confusion and even the odd dry joke to bring some levity to the tension. Everyone (bar Dom) is likeable to various degrees.October 16, 2017
A superior B-movie shocker set in the hinterlands of northern Sweden.September 11, 2017
Surely the best Yank-directed horror movie about English blokes terrorized by monsters in Romania-posing-as-Sweden that you'll see this year.December 06, 2017
... a seductively disorienting saga...February 05, 2018
The Ritual will feel like a trip to comfortably uncomfortable environs. And yet Bruckner's film has more meat on its bones than most, its mayhem splattered with not only blood but issues of guilt, regret and redemption.February 07, 2018
Attempts to put a twist on the Blair Witch formula but demonstrates surprisingly little imagination.October 11, 2017
If it lacks the originality and sheer muscle of the best horror fare, this does offer an astute take on fragile thirtysomething machismo.February 04, 2018
Eventually, the filmmakers reveal the secrets they'd previously withheld, spoiling the film's sustained mystique.November 06, 2017
A wonderful allegory of the power of good horror cinema. [Full Review in Spanish]September 11, 2017
Directed by David Bruckner, the film's horror is engaging; its look, handsome. While thoughtfully done, the entertainment value of this sombre scare fiesta isn't high.November 08, 2017
The actors uphold it with all their strength, but that sadly doesn't prove to be enough to overcome the familiar and clichéd storytelling.September 22, 2017
Starts with an effective inciting incident but devolves into something that feels overly familiar.