grimmer

The Ritual

This is pretty good, despite not really breaking any new grounds. It feels like the Blair Witch Project meets The Witch, which isn’t a bad thing. The film isn’t really scary in the slightest though, the opening scene is pretty difficult to watch but not because of fear, just because it’s disgusting to see a man get killed with a machete knife. The best thing about the is the design of the God creature. It’s very unique and looks realistic, they did a great job in the design department. The problem is once you’ve seen it, the God becomes far less scary. Overall this is pretty solid but nothing spectacular, and Dom is a d*ck.

ichbins_a

The Ritual

The Ritual captivated me from the start with its dark atmosphere and eerie forest setting. The blend of psychological horror and Norse mythology works really well, creating a menacing, almost nightmarish mood. I particularly liked how the film connects the characters' inner fear and guilt with the external horror. One minor criticism is that the middle section drags a bit, and not all of the characters are given real depth. The ending is also a matter of taste – it's bold and visually impressive, but leaves some questions unanswered. Nevertheless, "The Ritual" is a thrilling and atmospheric horror film that positively stands out from the crowd.

Rat

The Ritual

Absolutely a favorite film, love the trauma.

Codeliusthe2nd

The Ritual

What a film this could have been. The Ritual is one of the most to-the-book horror films that I've seen recently, but it's done in such a way that makes it truly terrifying. It's a shame that this sense of dread and horror was lost near the end of the film, rather taking the route of shock-tactic than staying horrifying. The first half of this film moves slowly, getting under your skin, giving the more traditional scares that stay with you long after the film is over. The second half, unfortunately, relies more on shock value than actual scares, with the final reveal of what exactly was following this group. It's a shame that this reveal wasn't terrifying at all, since this could have been a fantastic blend of psychological horror and creature features. Nonetheless, The Ritual still is a strong horror film, even if it starts to falter in the final act. I definitely will be watching this film again soon in the hopes that I'll actually appreciate the genuine terror a little more that this film was able to entice.