The Ritual

One of the greatest cornerstones of cinema is the horror genre. Words alone can stir unease, but it takes the combination of sight and sound to create palpable fear. That is my opinion, but I believe horror films are a special breed of their own when it comes to storytelling. The Ritual, a Netflix-original filmed in the beautiful, yet ominous forests of Sweden, does not impressively stand out compared to the classics, but just like Coraline, sometimes an organic-textbook approach to plot points can be refreshing.

I started this film expecting to see a shaky-cam, cheesy creature-feature with stupid characters fumbling through the forest. I am relieved to say that is what the film could have been without stellar actors and the passionate director, David Bruckner. Bruckner has only directed five films in total, but it is clear that he knows what he is doing. From the aerial shots of the expansive Swedish landscapes to the struggling close-up of the main protagonist cowering behind his cigarette, Bruckner places the camera where it needs to be so the world can grow and surround you in every scene; the trees tower above, the wind beats against your ears, and the mountains still empower through miles of fog. Several scenes begin with a slow zoom into the still walls of trees, and you begin to wonder why until you realize the forest is moving in front of your eyes. The trees may be still and silent, but what is behind them stalks the camera as if trying to find the angle to charge at the audience. I love stories about the unknown wilderness mankind has yet to understand, and with Bruckner’s camera work, I was that much closer to uncovering the mysteries he wanted me to notice.

The two stand out actors were Rafe Spall, the protagonist, and Sam Troughton, the friend that hurts his leg and is the inciting incident that pushes them into the forest. The other actors did a decent job, and I thought Sam Troughton was mailing it in at the beginning, but when bad turns to worse, his character shifted into a pitiful mess that grew in depth from Troughton’s performance. Rafe Spall was great from beginning to end, and his character’s progression is clear through its juxtaposition against the natural setting of the forest. You know when he is struggling with his friends and when he is struggling about his past; they are split by two settings that cannot be mistaken for the other, and when they begin to mold into a nightmarish, mutated world is when the beast that is hunting them reveals its power.

The abnormal nightmares breaching into reality happen in the third act, and like all other horror films after Jaws, the beast is not exposed to the camera until the end. For this story, it works. It creates the sense that it is not one being that is against the team, it is the entire forest that is pulling them apart and piercing their hearts with supernatural fear. Critics are bashing the third act for being a let down to the slow and enticing build up of the first two acts, but I disagree; I enjoyed the shifts and turns the story took when the characters began to realize what was truly happening. Hints were thrown in throughout, but what they were pointing to was not what I expected. Many instances I chuckled because the characters were faced with a typical horror film trope, and they say, “Nope, we’re not following those footsteps,” and they keep going in the same direction as before. These moments eventually have answers, again in the third act, but it was enjoyable to see characters with dedicated intentions that they stuck to and individual struggles that pushed each person into their own obstacles. There was no, “Hey, look, a random cabin in the middle of the forest, let’s stay there and wait to die!” The characters held firm against the classic faults in this genre of film, and to see them directly see where they could have died and turn back to keep surviving was a small source of comedy in an otherwise tense narrative.

This film is an entertaining experience about the supernatural beasts forgotten within the forests of Europe, but if you want to see a film that exposes true beasts within us, then watch Taylor Sheridan’s Wind River. I have already reviewed that film, but last night I saw that it was on Netflix and shouted for joy. Both of these films are great— Wind River is undeniably better, but The Ritual is still enjoyable. Which ever film fills your hunger best, go check it out; both of these directors are new to the scene, and they are just getting started.

Story Rating: 7/10

Character Rating: 7/10