Ritual

Was probably one of the worst horror/thriller movies I have watched in awhile and there are a whole lot of those. The story line was so easy to guess what came next. Throughout the movie my husband and I were both wanting to stop the movie so we could watch another worth what little time we have together. I really can't believe After Dark Films put there name on this. It was one of the only reasons I even rented it. The acting was even very poor. They never gave an explanation why they did what they did or explain what the "rituals" really were for or about. I just hope to God they don't intend to make a second movie of this crap caliber or with the same actors. BLEH!!!!

Ritual takes the often used trapped in a motel room thriller and adds in a satanic cult element but doesn't do anything original with the idea.

The intro had my hopes up with it's stylish opening and eerie credits with the gradually appearing skull mask setting the mood very well. yet as the movie carried on my interest gradually waned as each scene was a real effort to sit through. An almost totally unlikeable female lead and virtually no chemistry between the two main actors made for every exchange between them a real laborious viewing experience.

The cults masks were fairly effective but you never really got to see what they were up to. The strange use of a high pitched whine as scenes got more "intense" was a rather annoying sonic choice that for me didn't pay off. The usual horror movie foolish choices appear but you should be used to that sort of thing if you watch this sort of movie. Obvious comparisons to vacancy are likely but the two movies are almost poles apart in terms of delivery. Vacancy is almost relentless once it gets going were as Ritual is a more sedate slow burn.

The biggest problem with Ritual for me was it wasn't any fun. It was just a little too miserable and slow. Ritual is not really a bad movie but having seen it it's probably one I wish I'd waited to watch on the horror channel.

Wow, i was once prescribed valium for insomnia but it didn't work, i tried everything, herbal tea, Chinese medicine, Zopidone or whatever that stuff is called. Anyway all of that could have been avoided if i had just had this film at hand. Perfect remedy for peaceful relaxing sleep. Now the writer of this film probably thought that some of his ideas would look really cool once they got round to shooting them but seriously sometimes it's just best to look at the end product & shelve it. The Ritual is a bad movie! Awful Film School style visuals, mind numbing sound, terrible script, over long sequences of nothing in particular or interesting. Snap shot editing that feels clumsy & again like a 14 year old film wannabe threw his hand in. Skull masks don't make a film scary & dropping little homages to older, much better horror films does not make your film any cooler if the idea is crap in the first place. This wants to be edgy but ends up looking & feeling all wrong. If you need a film to help you sleep, wack it on but other than that seriously don't entertain the idea of watching it for real, its a mess.

OK, this movie is far from perfect. BUT, I found it entertaining... and it actually got better as it went along... really picking up about midway through... and the ending was just right for me. It definitely didn't go where I was expecting with some lame 'twist'. People have mentioned that it feels 'padded'... and I agree that the first section, in the motel room, feels too long for what's going on. In general I like slower paced horrors though, so it's not that it was 'boring'... just that the script was kind of weak in those moments. It needed something more. I'm guessing that if they'd had more money to throw at it that portion would have been a lot shorter and the action in the last third would have been more extensive cat-n-mouse.

I'll mention that I think the acting and camera/lighting work was really good throughout. The script and editing were the real problems. Also, the choice of actors, especially for the unmasked cultists, was pretty great... those faces had character and I liked the implications that the cult was mostly blue-collar guys who led otherwise normal lives.

"Ritual" is a neat little scary movie with a simple plot held together by a very interesting style and strong performances overall. The story takes its time to get where going but suspense always builds with the help of a unique soundtrack and solid delivery by the husband and wife characters. The fuzzy, lingering camera shots create an uneasiness and there are a couple of great WTF moments before the cult arrives (particularly one involving a very creepy doll). I think the most interesting thing about this film is that I never really knew where the movie was going, even when it ended up where you might expect!

Overall, this movie is a great gem for fans of the horror genre and those looking for a unique experience.

*******/10