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The Ritual - 2017 - Streaming on Netflix (currently 2265 views)
Dreamscale
Posted: June 13th, 2018, 5:47pm
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Wow! My kind of horror flick in so many ways.
This is based on a novel and directed by David Bruckner, who did The Signal, back in 2007, a segment on 2012's V/H/S, and a pretty cool little flick called Southbound (also streaming on Netflix) back in 2015.
This is solid film making here, beautifully shot in Sweden, with strong performances and characters you can actually care about. For me, the monster design was also very powerful and unique.
It plays creepy for the first 45 minutes or so, then gets downright crazy in the finale, where the monster is finally revealed. This is highly recommended.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and wish there were more like it. I read the book previously and the filmmakers stayed pretty close to Adam Nevill's text, apart from the additional opening scene in the bottle shop with the quick and shocking demise of Bob, and the set up for Luke's guilt/the others blaming him - he needing to redeem himself etc. This is a great scene though and it adds a lot of layers to what happens to these guys when they become lost in the Swedish wilderness.
The scene in the cabin is particularly well done and really creepy, not so much what you see, but what your imagination evokes of the horrors the men see in their nightmares - if that makes sense... Well it will if you see it.
The film is well cast and the filmmakers did a terrific job of recreating the atmosphere and dread of the book.
The actual monster/demon, I'm iffy about. I loved the look of it when we only had glimpses of it, more than seeing it in full glory in the denouement, but regardless I won't mark it down because this is solid A-class horror. ... The book was apparently optioned three times and in development for five years.
Ahm... there is a time and place to watch low-budget films. Typically, this is when you are very tired after a long day at work with a few disappointing moments thrown in. You come home, fix dinner, have a drink or two and just want to unwind. This certainly isn't the time for a deep and complex story with stellar acting and intricate plot lines.
Anyhoo, this one follows a tried-and-true horror film scenario of four friends (blokes) hiking in the Swedish forest and getting lost and all hell breaking loose. There are no spoilers in this review, but it’s a strange mixture of The Blair Witch Project, Wicker Man, and The Descent. Some wouldn’t call this a horror movie per se but definitely spooky if you turn off the lights cause it’s genuinely creepy. It builds its suspense on a good promise, good acting and directing as well as stellar cinematography. Not super original, but overall it was actually one of the better horror films we've seen in awhile. Thanks for the recommend Libby. -A
I read the novel the other week The first two thirds are some of the best horror writing I’ve read. Then it descends into momentum losing rubbish which I skimmed and in the end didn’t give a rats arse what happened Damn shame
And Stevie... I read the novel too and give it a recommend regardless of the fact the denouement doesn't match up to the rest and it did drag and make me a lil cross-eyed by the end.
So bummed that David Bruckner didn't get a chance to direct Friday the 13th. Dude would have knocked it out of the park, I'm sure. The Ritual was pretty great.
And I'll second Libby on The Descent. Love that flick
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The Ritual - 2017 - Streaming on Netflix
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It builds its suspense on a good promise, good acting and directing as well as stellar cinematography. Not super original, but overall it was actually one of the better horror films we've seen in awhile. Thanks for the recommend Libby. 
-A
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