Review of The Ritual (2017) by The_Coog — 12 Feb 2018

One of the most surprising horror movies to come out in a long time. The basic premise (some may call it simplistic and cliché) actually serves it very well, because it quickly veers into a territory that has never really been explored in horror films before. It's been explored, but never without this level of success. The Ritual has a firm grip on atmospherics and a very competent cast elevate this film with a lot of internal conflict and palpable dread. It's beautifully shot and briskly paced, with plenty to go in terms of phychological anguish and physical revulsion. Some nasty twists elevate this into a tale of pure Lovecraftian terror, that which is quite cosmic and unspeakable. It just gets rid of the tentacles and replaces that by ancient Nordic pagan deities worship mayhem.

Netflix originals are incredibly hit or miss, but in the horror department, this is clearly a hit. It's part The Descent, part The Void, part The VVitch, part Deliverance. It just works, and the movie's self awareness certainly works in its favor. However, if you find the unknown more terrifying that what you can see, you may be disappointed once the movie chooses to make it's big reveal.