The Ritual
The Ritual

The Ritual

2017Movie94 minEnglish

A group of college friends reunite for a trip to the forest, but encounter a menacing presence in the woods that's stalking them.

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Insights

IMDb6.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes75%
Metacritic68/100
Google Users74%
Director: David BrucknerGenres: Horror, Thriller, Mystery

Plot Summary

Four college friends reunite for a hiking trip in the Swedish wilderness to honor their deceased friend. What begins as a somber remembrance quickly devolves into a terrifying ordeal when they become lost and stumble upon an ancient, malevolent entity lurking in the forest. As paranoia and fear escalate, they must confront not only the supernatural horror but also the festering tensions and guilt within their own group.

Critical Reception

The Ritual was met with generally positive reviews, praised for its atmospheric dread, effective jump scares, and strong performances, particularly from Rafe Spall. Critics lauded its ability to blend folk horror elements with psychological tension, although some noted a familiar narrative structure. The film's creature design and its exploration of grief and guilt were highlighted as significant strengths.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its oppressive atmosphere and effective scares.
  • Appreciated for its strong performances, especially Rafe Spall.
  • Cited for its compelling blend of creature feature and psychological horror.

Google audience: Audience reviews generally lauded the film's suspenseful build-up and frightening creature, appreciating its effective horror elements and the emotional depth explored through the characters' relationships and grief. Some viewers found the ending slightly abrupt, but overall satisfaction was high.

Fun Fact

The forest depicted in the film is actually a combination of Black Park Country Park and Pinewood Studios in England, with additional forest scenes filmed in Sweden.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

7 reviews
Dr_Nostromo

Dr_Nostromo

64/100 After tragically losing a friend, 4 guys decide to go hiking in Northern Sweden. After entering a forest, in an attempt to find a shortcut, they find themselves having unexplained visions and being pursued by something malevolent ...
Alunauwie

Alunauwie

Based on Adam Nevill’s novel, The Ritual follows four friends hiking Sweden’s Kungsleden trail who unknowingly enter the domain of a mythical jötunn creature named Moder. The film builds tension effectively through eerie atmosphere and grad...
hand2a

hand2a

Has a great first half but really lets itself down after the monster makes its first appearance. Still a solid horror, definitely worth a watch but nothing to cry about. The first house sequence was really well done and genuinely scary 3/5
RalphRahal

RalphRahal

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...
Walruse

Walruse

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...
Wuchak

Wuchak

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 stal...
Gimly

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 ...