The Ritual (I) (2017) User Reviews

Worth a watch.

[annaily · 7/10 · 12 February 2018]

I really liked this movie. Yes, the ending could've been better, a lot better, but it was really psychologically thrilling and spooky, especially for a Netflix movie. I'm really impressed with Netflix's content lately.

I see trends in the low star reviews that I want to address.

1) "the ending was bad" I agree, but the rest of it wasn't. A movie with a bad ending isn't going to be the best movie of all time, but if I enjoy watching 90% of the movie, then I would say I got my time's worth. It's just a shame that it didn't take the opportunity to use the "monsters who scare your mind, not just rip up your body" thing that it could have had going for it.

2) "not scary enough" it was suspenseful and creepy. It's more psychologically thrilling than outright terrifying, and I genuinely wonder which movies these people deem scary enough for them to enjoy because most horror movies really suck, especially in the past 20 years. Where are they finding all these "genuinely scary" movies? Or are they just consistently always disappointed with all of the horror movies they watch but keep watching them anyways? I have a lot of questions.

3) "didn't capture the essence of the book" why does everyone who reads a book that gets made into a movie feel the need to say this? I'm not sure if they just like being pretentious or if they genuinely believe a 90 minute movie must entirely capture the essence of a full length novel. There's no reason to judge them as if they need to be identical. They're standalone works. When I choose to watch the movie, I would hope that they don't drag it out as long as turning a book into a literal script would require.

4) "Blair witch rip off" very few movies, songs, books, etc. are truly original. You can make a movie with the same basic story tone as another one. Add your own twist, or don't, whatever, I'm not the purity police - just make an entertaining work without breaking copyright laws. If I'm entertained, I don't care if it resembles something else that also entertained me.

Anyways, if you read this entire review to learn if this movie is worth a watch, you clearly don't have anything better to do so just watch it. It's not bad.

Good Old Fashioned Horror

[davgk · 7/10 · 13 October 2017]

No spoilers in this review but having come away from watching this film, on my own at the local Empire Cinema on Friday 13th I would say this is a good horror film for those who are bored senseless by the endless tide of "jump scare but not scary really" horror films we have to endure these days.

This is a proper story with a proper start, middle and end.

At times unsettling, at times creepy, at times a bit distressing whilst always being restrained (its not an utter gore fest and the violence is all the more affecting for that) this is a decent film elevated by good characterisation and very good acting.

Whilst nothing utterly original is on offer here, it is a film that does what it says on the tin and it is all done well. Special mention to Rafe Spall who, just like his dad, Timothy, continues to be brilliant in everything he's in.

Solid 7/10 and one for fans of proper horror. It deserves to be seen at the cinema as well so I'd urge people to get to watch this.

Strong start but poor final act.

[FpsJimbo94 · 6/10 · 19 September 2017]

Just came out of an early screening of this film during Odeon's monthly 'ScreamUnseen'.

The film surrounds 4 friends who embark on a hike across a remote part of Sweden for a recently deceased friend. Things start to turn bad after they decide to take a shortcut through the forest.

I split this film into 2 parts: The first part surrounds the group getting lost in the woods trying to find their way back to their cabin and encountering strange things and sounds in the woods. The woods give you a very strange and eerie vibe which I think the film excels at.The cinematography was great and really captured the sense of unease and isolation in the woods.The films also explores the subject of grief, especially in one of the main characters in the film and this has consequences heading into the latter parts of the film.

Unfortunately the second part of this film falls short for reasons I can't go into without spoiling the film. If you are a fan of horror films set in the woods you'll have seen this kind of ending many times before.

'The Ritual' has some great strengths but unfortunately falls short towards the end of the movie. Definitely a film for fans of films such as 'Blair Witch' & 'Backcounty'.

Promising Start. Sturdy Middle-Act. Underwhelming Finale.

[CinemaClown · 16 February 2018]

Making effective use of its isolated setting to amp up its claustrophobic aura, The Ritual begins on a promising note, gets even better with a tense middle act but all the potential it had of finishing as a thrilling example of its genre is ultimately squandered by its underwhelming final act.

The story follows a group of four friends who embark on a hiking trip in Sweden to honour their recently deceased pal. Things take an unexpected turn when they decide to go off-trail by taking a shortcut and are lost in the woods. To make matter worse, they are being stalked by a menacing presence.

Directed by David Bruckner, the premise is set up rather quickly with a finely crafted prologue and once the characters go off-trail, the director expertly switches gears by smartly utilising the silence & mystery of the surroundings to ratchet up the tension while the excellent camerawork & brooding score only add to its foreboding aura.

The characters aren't fleshed enough to make us invest in their journey but their shared predicament is still relatable. The tension is nerve-wracking when it's done right but few creative choices don't work out in its favour. Performances aren't any impressive but the cast still manages to deliver enough with what they are given.

On an overall scale, The Ritual had the opportunity to secure its place amongst the better examples of indie horror in recent years and was on trail during the first hour but the last 30 minutes foil the overall journey, for it doesn't pack the same punch as what unfolded before. At its best when capitalising on our fear of the unknown, The Ritual finishes as just another middling entry in the horror genre.

Safest place in the world are actually the Swedish woods

[petterpetterpetterpettersson · 7/10 · 11 February 2018]

As a film, I really enjoyed it. Kinda creepy, and it was well executed from cast to photo to everything.

Only thing i oppose, as a Swede, is the image of the Swedish woods as something scary. It really isn't, I'm sorry to say. I have spent a good many nights there in tents and cabins, and I am pretty well educated about the folklore. This one turns into something that is reall none-Scandinavian in terms of that. None of the "rituals" or creatures have nothing to do with actual lore. Sure, they speak about norse figures like the children of Loki, but that is just silly.

As a fright-flick, though, it is good.

And for you to know: We do have scary creatures in the woods. But we who live here know them, and they look like nothing as projected here. Come and see.

Stick to the road

[Alanjackd · 6/10 · 18 October 2017]

Never read up on this so went in blind.

What I found was tense and well done affair that gave as much as it promised.Kept up the tension all the way and some of the cinematography and audio really brought the theatre to life.

Able acting all the way through and had just enough jumps to stop it getting predictable. Well directed and great script...some of the banter was really well done and made us all giggle.

The set pieces containing flashbacks and hallucinations were very very well done. I've read some reviews about a so called silly ending, bur for me I thought the ending was in the vain of the movie.

It brought back to me last years Blair Witch with the camera- work..did i see that? ..what was that ?? Very well done indeed. Well worth a trip with your partner as they will be clung to you from the off set. Will keep an eye on the director for more. I gave it a 6 and not a 7 because of the ending..it wasn't silly but maybe could have explained a bit more.

The Forest God

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 10 February 2018]

The best friend Luke (Rafe Spall), Phil (Luke Arsher Ali), Hutch (Robert James-Collier), Dom (Sam Troughton) and Robert (Paul Reid) are planning their next vacation in Europe. However, Robert is murdered in a convenience store robbery and his friend decide to hike in Sweden to honor him. But when Dom twists his knee, they decide to take a shortcut through the woods. Along their journey, they learn that they are hunted down by something. What would be the menace?

"The Ritual" is a horror film with an intriguing premise but also a poor conclusion. The screenplay keeps the tension while the viewer does not know what is happening. But the conclusion disappoints. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): Not Available.

Into the Forest

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 4 May 2018]

So going off wandering might not always be the best idea. Especially if you have some baggage to carry (pun intended). And while we do get some flashbacks and some backstory to the characters and their motivation to go on that trip, some may feel like the rest of the story is detached from that. Don't get me wrong, it has quite a few moments, it is shocking and it is tension filled, which might make you sit at the edge of your seat.

There is also the moral question and the what would you have done (that's for the inciting incident, the one that is the reason for their predicament in the first place)? It is a tough question to answer for some, though even those who may say different might have acted exactly the same way. The ending is maybe a little bit of a let down, but technically this is sound to say the least ...

A breath of fresh air...

[malherbejo · 8/10 · 11 February 2018]

I don't remember ever reviewing a movie here, but I decided to come at the rescue of this movie... I really enjoyed this movie and I go against the reviews which once more put it in the "average around 6.0 score" where so many other scary movies are standing. I consider myself a horror/scary amateur and I have seen many movies of this kind, and since the last 10 years, its getting harder to find some that makes you say "ok, this was a bit different".... (of course there are some, but in my opinion over the large quantity, only over 20% are passing the "not too bad" test"). For once, we don't have to bear some stupid teenagers partying for spring break in the forest, some people behaving so stupidly that you think "seriously ??", a haunted house, a possession, or a redneck hillbilly family... Here the movie has a lot of a "realistic" touch to it, the characters are normal and they could be us, normal people behaving normally in the face of danger and fear and that reinforce the attachment for the characters. Many times I wondered, "damn, i dont know what I would have done in this situation". The mood is nicely growing more and more stressing and not much of the "monster" is shown for a long time, letting the viewer finding out slowly about the real horror happening in those woods. The change of scenery (Swedish forest) and the isolation of the characters reinforce the idea that nature in itself can be scary and that even a friendly country like Sweden can appear in another light... The last quarter of the movie is a bit more conventional to the genre but still not falling in all the clichés. I especially raise a thumb up for the creature design and the explanation on what it is. Probably not all will approve, but I liked the way this was going and when learning what the creature really was, I wondered "would I try to fight against that or give up ?"

So yeah, this movie is not THE movie of the year for me, but for sure, it is totally over many of the "i watch and I forget" movie that I've been seing in horror recently. I recommend.

The Ritual (2017)

[keruirenlei · 7/10 · 19 September 2017]

2017 has been a very mixed year for horror (so far, anyway) We've had some fairly terrible movies like Rings, The Bye Bye Man and Annabelle: Creation but we've also had some unique, memorable films such as Get Out, It Comes at Night and IT. I'm still holding out for films such as Happy Death Day, Jigsaw and Creep 2 to be great but one film I didn't expect to enjoy was The Ritual. I saw the trailer before my screening of IT and it looked to be just another throwaway horror movie trying to be the next The Blair Witch Project. Thankfully, the film's trailer was just a poor attempt at showing what the film actually is like and shouldn't be used to assess the quality of the movie. The film's premise isn't entirely original, a bunch of friends decide to go hiking and to save time decide to cut through an eerie forest. This premise has been done to death in movies and even though director David Bruckner (V/H/S/) tries to set his film apart from the rest, the final product ends up feeling very cliché. Where the film does shine is with its cast of characters, the four friends on their hiking adventure which takes a sour turn for the worst. Our protagonist Luke (Rafe Spall) is the most interesting, fleshed-out character of the bunch and I was surprised to find out that the first act of the movie is centred around character development which really gave us a chance to learn about and care for these characters.

After witnessing the murder of his friend, Robert (Paul Reid), Luke suffers incredible guilt and feels as if he's responsible for Robert's death as he chose to hide instead of step in and try to protect his friend. Spall does a good job portraying Luke by going the quiet and reserved route for the first half of the movie and while I wouldn't say there were any stand-out performances, everybody involved did well with the material they had and the banter between the friends kept things interesting and was good fun to watch.

One of the things I absolutely loved about this movie was how it looked visually. Director of photography Andrew Shulkind (Southbound) does an incredible job of making the audience feel like they're in the woods with these friends. The incredible overhead shots of the area truly makes the forest feel like its own character which I adored. However, some of the scenes shot at night are hard to make out due to how dark it is at times but during the daytime sequences, the film looks visually stunning.

One of the weaker aspects of the movie is the horror. I'd actually hesitate to even call this movie a horror flick and feel like if it was marketed as a thriller, people would have enjoyed this movie a little more (judging from some of the mixed reception it's received after it's premiere at TIFF and ODEON's Scream Unseen program, which I saw the film at).

Although there's a few unsettling images and scenes scoured throughout, I wouldn't say any of it was that scary. For the majority of the second act, the horror comes from the friends discovering horrific things such as a bear pinned up to a tree with its guts ripped out. Like I said before, not entirely original but still unsettling. When the friends realize they're going to have to find shelter on the first night of their venture into the woods, they stay the night in an abandoned cabin which has strange markings inside, similar to ones they've seen on some of the trees outside. After searching the house for items to start a fire, they discover a strange pagan headless creature in the basement which looks like something ripped directly out of The Wicker Man. After discovering this strange figure, the friends all try to get some sleep but are each haunted by nightmares. Although we get to hear about most of them, the only ones we get to experience are Luke's. All of them reside in the shop where Robert was murdered and each one of these gets progressively more and more disturbing throughout the course of the film.

Without going into spoiler territory, the third act of the movie caught me off guard and really surprised me. As I said before, the trailer made it seem as if this film was just trying to be the next Blair Witch but once the true nature of the film is revealed, I was on the edge of my seat until the credits rolled.

The film has a lot of charm and humour which also surprised me. There's a few moments in the movie during the third act which had myself and the audience in hysterics. Also, it might contain my favourite visual gag of the entire year involving Luke and an old lady. The film takes itself very seriously but knows when to have fun and lighten up the tone a little. This isn't a comedy though so if you're expecting something along the lines of Zombieland or Shaun of the Dead in terms of humour, you're going to be disappointed. The humour is definitely a welcome addition though.

Overall, The Ritual was a very fun time. Although, I wouldn't say it's my favourite horror-thriller movie of the year, it does a great job making you feel lost in the woods with these characters and with a surprise shift in tone during the third act, the movie never feels boring or uninteresting. Good performances, stunning visuals and an entertaining, albeit cliché premise make for a solid directorial feature debut. I'm looking forward to see more from Bruckner in the future and if his previous work is any indication of how versatile he is as a horror filmmaker (he previously worked on the first short in the horror anthology V/H/S/) then we're in for a treat.

Great first hour, but the last 30 mins are so disappointing

[derekjager · 5/10 · 7 February 2018]

I love these "scary woods" stories and if you haven't seen YELLOW BRICK ROAD, check it out.

The first hour of THE RITUAL is excellent--great acting, dialogue, music and an unsettling mood is quickly established. But once we only have two remaining men...the climax slows to a crawl when it should speed up. What happened to all that scary tension we had built up?

While wisely holding back showing too much or telling too much for the first hour, the final 30 minutes reveal it's all THE HILLS HAVE EYES visit THE WICKER MAN and the film collapses. And, the biggest (?) mistake, they show the creature that the people worship. Not sure why--it's odd looking but not that terrifying and the final scene where the man is yelling at it, thrilled that he's escaped, doesn't work. And then? The screen goes black, credits roll. A real disappointment but the first hour is GREAT!

One of the most tense and exhilarating films I've watched in a long while

[jtindahouse · 8/10 · 11 February 2018]

The key to any good horror film has always been having characters that are realistic and that the audience can relate to and care for. Yet so many horror films completely overlook this element in their film. 'The Ritual' does not make this mistake. These characters are highly flawed, but they're also relatable and we as an audience can understand (if not fully agree with) choices and decisions they've made. I suspect a lot of this stems from the fact that 'The Ritual' was based on a novel as the source material. Movies based on novels almost always contain more depth to their characters for obvious reasons.

So you've got yourself a set of great characters, but that still isn't enough to guarantee a successful film. You now have the obligation to utilise those characters you've created. 'The Ritual' ticks that box as well. Firstly, it's a great looking film. They did a fantastic job picking the setting for the film. Creepy and atmospheric, whilst beautiful and endearing at the same time. Secondly, this film ticks possibly the rarest box a horror movie is ever able to achieve these days, which is to be scary. I almost never get any rise in my heart-rate during a horror film any more, but that was certainly not the case here. I was invested in the story and the suspense had me on edge.

The first 3/4 of the film are some of the best mystery, suspense, horror film watching I've done in years. This film was almost destined for greatness, but unfortunately the final 1/4 does let things a slip a bit. Once any mystery is gone from the story things lose steam a little and everything becomes a little stock-standard. The ending is quite abrupt too, and I had hoped for a little more. Altogether though I certainly recommend giving this film a watch. It's about as good as modern horror films come.

Stunning, visceral, and intense.

[asphyxion_ · 7/10 · 18 February 2018]

The Ritual is an atmospheric folk lore horror akin to 2015's "The VVitch," or Bruckner's debut film set in Terminus, 2007's "The Signal."

A superb viewing that mounts tension without long, dragged out environmental shots or minutes of expository; instead, Ritual relies on the innate human fears of getting lost in a foreign place to craft a sense of dread that is all too palpable.

There is a wonderful backdrop crafted in Ritual, wrought from ancient Elder Futhark and a devastatingly delicious dose of Proto-Norse mythos.

Genre buffs looking for a cerebral treat that doesn't need to be spoonfed will enjoy every minute of the Ritual, with an ending that provides answers but still leaves a sense of ambiguity large enough that the viewer can draw their own conclusions.

This is a masterclass in psychological terror; Bruckner has outdone himself with The Ritual and I expect this title to cement his worthiness as a visual story teller in stone. Ignore the "Blair Witch" copycat comments -- The Ritual is a superior movie in every conceivable way.

Okay, but it could have been better

[Wizard-8 · 5/10 · 18 February 2018]

Based on a novel, it's pretty clear that someone along the way of the making of "The Ritual" got their inspiration from the 1977 Canadian movie "Rituals". Not only are the titles of the two movies similar, but both share the theme of several middle aged men hiking in the wilderness and experiencing terror. But the movie also got some inspiration from the movie "The Blair Witch Project", with the supernatural touches to the narrative. Actually, the last twenty minutes or so of the movie do take a more original turn, but I'll leave you to find out what happens if you do decide to see this movie. Derivative as the movie is at times, I will admit that it is never boring, and does get you interested in watching enough to stick to the end in order to see what happens. However, there are a number of unanswered questions along the way, ranging from why the central character keeps having visions of his friend's murder to how the killings in the forest had somehow eluded the local authorities for years. Had questions like these been eventually answered, we would have possible had a compelling, if still somewhat derivative, horror movie. As it is, it's only okay, watchable, but will make you wonder several times why someone during the production did not spot the glaring unanswered questions and have them fixed before filming started.

Above average low budget horror movie

[The_Swedish_Reviewer · 7/10 · 2 April 2023]

Less is often more. In The Ritual, this is so true as the wilderness, the forest and creepy sounds are what create the tension. The effects are few, but effective. Four men go on a hike and end up somewhere in the deepest forests in Sweden, only to discover that something evil awaits them there. The first half of the movie is really good. The end not as good but decent. Unfortunately, the film is not shot in Sweden but in Romania, which I think is a shame because I myself am Swedish and immediately saw that nature does not look at all like in Sweden. But overall it is better than average low budget horror movies and worth watching.

Tense and Atmospheric

[johnspringer-95440 · 7/10 · 23 April 2023]

Four friends embark on a hiking trip to Sweden, where circumstances impel them to take an ill-advised shortcut into a creepy forest. There's not much particularly original about what ensues but it's well-executed. The forest is foreboding and it becomes increasingly oppressive. The characters are relatable and they generally make understandable decisions under the circumstances. The group dynamic helps maintain the tension as fear, anger and desperation take hold. Things unravel a bit in the third act when the movie tries to provide explanations but it still delivers a reasonably satisfying finale.

Don't go into the woods

[BandSAboutMovies · 6/10 · 22 January 2019]

Five old college old friends meet to get drunk and discuss their annual vacation together. Rob wants to hike in Sweden, but the others all make fun of him. On their way home, Luke decides to get a bottle of vodka in a convenience store. Inside, Rob is killed by criminals when he won't give up his wedding ring. Luke is too slow to help and can only watch his friend be killed. From these very urban origins, the rural horror of The Ritual begins.

To celebrate their friend, the survivors take the trip he wanted to Kungsleden, or King's Trail, in Sweden's Sarek National Park. One of them hurts his knee, so they decide to take a faster path home, but start to discover strange things like animals gutted and hung from trees and strange runes carved in the trees.

Seeking shelter in an abandoned house, the men discover more runes and strange statues, yet they stay there for the night. When Luke wakes from an evening of nightmares, he has puncture wounds all over his chest. As they go deeper into the forest, their feelings toward one another - some blame Luke for Rob's death - come to light. And they start getting killed off by whatever is tracking them and left hung like the animals they say before.

Soon, only Luke and Dom are left and the latter has been selected as a sacrifice to the Jötunn, who takes human lives and gives immortality in return. Luke must take part in the ritual and submit to the god or die. He refuses and the creature makes him relive his nightmares again and again until he's able to fight back and make his way to the edge of the woods, a place where it loses its power. Screaming in its face, Luke has survived.

Directed by David Bruckner (V / H / S, Southbound), whose work I hadn't enjoyed much until this film, this is a great throwback to 1970's occult horror. It has a dark and sinister feel from the moment everyone journeys into the forest. It doesn't hold any surprises, but that doesn't mean it's not a great ride.

Superior handling, poor conclusion

[Groverdox · 7/10 · 18 February 2018]

"The Ritual" is a creature feature with the same problems that generally plague films of that genre. It is handled well, with some effective moments in the beginning, and superior acting. But when we actually see the creature, and get an explanation of what it is and why it is, we lose interest, and it's not really scary anymore.

It doesn't help that the creature makes no visual sense. I imagine that some people might find that makes it scarier. I didn't. It looks like a cross between a goat and a reindeer with human limbs added here and there for no reason I can tell. "Weird" does not always equal scary.

The film is about a group of friends who take a hike through the woods of northern Sweden to fulfil the dying wishes of a mate of theirs, who was killed in an armed robbery that one of the friends was also present for, but survived due to hiding.

They follow a hiking trail but decide to take a shortcut through a wooded area, where they discover signs of witchcraft, and soon, an inhuman creature shows up.

There are many superior moments in these scenes, which take up more than half of the movie. It's the ending where I felt the movie fell down. The creature is unconvincing, yes, but so is the left-field Norse religious subtext that tries to explain it.

I think Swedes would probably get a laugh out of this movie.

Awesome horror movie, truly creepy

[jhem_m · 9/10 · 10 February 2018]

I don't understand the 2 star ratings here. This is a solid horror movie. I was truly creeped out the whole time, which is what I look for in a horror.

Yeah it's not perfect, but it is WAY better than the Blair Witch project. As a horror fan I give this a 9/10. Not because it is a perfect movie, but because I found it so unsettling, weird, and well, scary.

Don't look for logic, just surrender yourself and be afraid!

A technically competent and self-assured slow-burning horror that falls a little flat in its third act.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 6/10 · 24 October 2017]

'The Ritual (2017)' is a technically competent and conceptually confident horror picture that manages to crank up the tension without relying on false or obnoxious jump-scares, instead using its ominous musical score and brilliantly foreboding sound design to create a slow-building sense that there's something sinister lurking amongst the trees. It's in the script where the piece really shines; it's an example of a group dynamic done right, and you honestly do get a sense that these four men are mates who have known each other for a long time. You also get a sense that they're all different people who react differently to their bizarre and frightening situation. When the film moves into its third act, it starts to lose its way a little. The closer it comes to its eponymous ritual, the less tense and unique it gets. Still, the finale does introduce a visually interesting and well-developed creature whose only real fault is the fact that it's shown slightly too much during its climactic debut. This is a shame, since prior to then it's handled with a deft restraint that allows the flick's infrequent yet visceral splashes of gore to truly have an impact. The thing also has bit of a rushed and wet ending. 6/10.

Starts off well, plot points don't connect, winds up linear and pointless.

[honest_reviews17 · 4/10 · 10 February 2018]

Warning: complete and total spoilers ahead.

This movie starts off well with four guys who decide to go on a hiking trip. After one of them gets killed at the beginning of the movie in a liquor store, it supposedly adds weight to their trip, giving it more meaning.

In the end, the only thing this movie winds up being about is a group of people in the forest (not the four hikers) who offer humans as sacrifices to a creature that keeps them alive forever, so long as they worship it. The presence of this creature causes psychological effects / visions / dreams on the part of the four hikers throughout the movie.

Through frequent flashbacks blurred with forest reality, the movie attempts to tie the violence in the liquor store with a monster that stalks them through the woods (and kills 3 out of 4 by the end.) But ultimately the creature has no meaning -- not related to anything that happened with the first guy's death -- not to anything at all, really.

Do you think this review is pointless? Then you get a taste for exactly how generic and pointless this movie's plot was.

The woodlands are a sight to see and have a very alienating feel that tells you that you are never safe, no matter if its daylight or night.

[Fella_shibby · 8/10 · 4 March 2018]

The film is about a group of friends who go trekking in the Swedish forests to honour their dead friend's wish. I got enticed due to the trailer n the director's name was sufficient for me. Have enjoyed David Bruckners films. (The Signal 2007, Siren, Southbound). Saw this on a rented dvd. The film captured the eerie nature of the forest so well, it becomes the most important character in the film. The creepiness n sense of dread in the broad daylight n the surrealistic nightmare sequences in the nighttime added solid tensions. The dream sequences in the cabin was truly nightmarish. The suspense is maintained throughout. This film makes getting lost in the woods scary all over again. The woodlands are a sight to see and have a very alienating feel that tells you that you are never safe, no matter if its daylight or night.

I Loved This...

[ommbomb · 7/10 · 6 February 2018]

If you enjoyed films like Trollhunter, Thale etc you should get a kick from this. Four British lads on a hiking trek through Sweden to pay tribute to a departed mate who has been murdered at the start of the film in an off licence robbery. The story has a slight Blair Witch feel to the discovery of the carved runes in the trees as the group soon get lost in a forest. With most of my reviews I do not want to spoil the movie so I try to keep my comments brief and spoiler free. This film plays heavily on how damned creepy forests can be..even in daylight..and combines this with the concept of ancient nature elemental's/demons or gods...The acting is very natural which makes the group of friends feel familiar..like your own mates. I recommend this..but insist you view films the way that I do for full affect..view alone, in the dark..on a 42" screen..sitting between stereo speakers or surround sound if you have it. That is the ONLY way to view any movie to be able to fully appreciate it. Make your viewing a ritual and you should enjoy 'The Ritual'.

Waste of time

[danielle_boyster2000 · 1/10 · 17 July 2018]

This movie is very predictable. It has basic horror movie don't go in there or do that moments. You start to get to real action at the end thinking oh here's the good part and the monster thing is like they didn't try to make it scary like something a small child could do.

It's like you've been writing your essay very well through the whole college class, but then you see that in 5 minutes the class is over and you rush to finish the last part.

[undeaddt · 6/10 · 26 August 2019]

Very good start, loved the British accent, it gave a whole new atmosphere to the movie. I loved the forest, the wilderness, the cabin in the woods, the ritual signs everywhere, the tension building, absolutely everything. But then the movie got pale and slow, everybody died in a matter of instance, so you see the finale rushing it's way in the last 10 minutes, just for you to see the most underwhelming ending you could get....a lot of potential, dissapointing execution.