The Ritual
“No we can't stop and see The Exorcist, we have The Exorcist at home”
- Billy Joe
Let’s focus on areas where it hit the mark-
Cast, Plot and Action are where viewers will find the most redeeming and applicable factors.
1.5/1.5
1.5/1.5
1.5/1.5
Al & Dan shine in their leading roles much as can be expected. The true unsung heroes of the film are the sisters whose job is to convey the true paralyzing fear of being in the room with an actively malicious evil force. Since we aren't using a plethora of over the top effects to convey the presence, this is an admirable effort.
1/1.5
1.5/1.5
1.5/1.5
As noted earlier, we have an interesting narrative here that not only goes beyond the room where it happens, but really places priority outside of the victim. This isn't new, but it's done well enough to earn a spot of praise as opposed to being a dull detriment.
0.5/1.5
1.5/1.5
0.5/1.5
There are enough scenes showing the evil intent of the demon to get through the film, but it does leave much to be desired in terms of damage. Taking things a step further and doing some truly irreparable damage that all present would have to carry with them for the rest of their lives would have made this feel a bit more recommendable to true horror buffs.
Now let’s take a look at where it went wrong
No real reason to pick this over any other exorcism movie
0/1.5
At the end of it all, there's really nothing new to see here. In a sub-genre which has been commercially successful enough to pump out as many titles as this one has in recent years this is particularly detrimental. There are tons of options in the last decade alone that innovation is crucial to help the film stand out among the crowd in
At the end of it all, there's really nothing new to see here. In a sub-genre which has been commercially successful enough to pump out as many titles as this one has in recent years this is particularly detrimental. There are tons of options in the last decade alone that innovation is crucial to help the film stand out among the crowd in the streaming era, give a reason to choose it over the multitude of other options. Proper innovation in a flooded genre is the difference between a worthy addition, and a cheap cash in.
The Ritual has enough redeeming factors to make it a worthy watch once it arrives on your favorite streaming platform, but I can't say it warrants a rent or unseen-purchase. It can serve as a solid opener for an exorcism horror movie night as long as there are some other more notable titles in the lineup. Alternatively The Ritual can function as a decent entry level film for the sub genre if you have a pal who is interested in the concepts but afraid to dive in to the more intimidating works. If you are one who generally finds consistent enjoyment in these pictures with little criticism, then don't look now....but you got one here. Otherwise prepare for a more mild and safe trip down a road you'll feel like you've been down before...kind of like driving through a once rough part of your hometown, the road names are all the same, but there's a Target and a Starbucks here now.
As for Billy Joe, I paid the rental fee to stream this because I missed it in it's theater run, and I did wind up feeling like a bit of a missed mark.
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