THE RITUAL
Starring: Al Pacino, Dan Stevens, Abigail Cowen, Ashley Greene, Patricia Heaton, and Patrick Fabian
Director: David Midell
KATIE
The Ritual is, by and large, a typical exorcism film, full of tropes and familiar beats. The first half is actually quite strong, with jump scares and scary visuals that are effective. However, it then falls flat, and the repetitive plot begins to feel monotonous. I also don’t think the handheld camera style added to the story; if anything, it's sometimes distracting and feels cheap. Whenever it does work, it's because of the performances. I came for Pacino (Father Riesinger) and Dan Stevens (Father Steiger), but stayed for Abigail Cowen (Emma Schmidt) and Ashley Greene (Sister Rose).
NICK
Dan Stevens is one of those actors who always seems to be doing something interesting regardless of the project he’s in. Unfortunately, when it comes to The Ritual, there is nothing interesting here. From the retreaded story beats, to the bland writing and performances, to some of the worst cinematography I’ve seen in a theatrical release in some time, there’s nothing to salvage. I think director David Midell was aiming for something hyper-realistic, but what he wound up with was one of the dullest depictions of possession I’ve seen on screen. A truly painful 98 minutes to get through.
