THE RITUAL

UK, 2017, 94 minutes, Colour.
Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali, Robert James Collier, Sam Troughton, Paul Reid.
Directed by David Bruckner.

Writer-director, David Bruckner, has specialised in writing and directing horror films, the signal, Southbound, and to the horror anthology V/H/S. The Ritual is a more upmarket production, especially with the strong British casts led by Rafe Spall, noted theatre actor as well as in films on both sides of the Atlantic, with Robert James Collier who appeared in 52 episodes of Downton Abbey.

What helps the film is a rather ordinary beginning, five men friends having a drink at a pub, planning their annual holiday away together. One of the advantages of the film is that the men have no added on complications in terms of relationships, sexuality, drugs… It is just a straightforward horror story about what happens to them.

There is an immediate shock for the audience when there is a raid at a supermarket, a junkie makes demands on one of the men for his wallet, his being hit by machete, murdered – while Luke, the central character, looks on, helpless, not intervening. Rafe Spall is Luke.

The bulk of the film is their hiking in northern Sweden (actually filmed in Romania which could have stood in even in terms of the plot). They have a special memento and toast for their dead friend. All seems normal enough until one of the men, Dom, slips and suffers an injury, slowing down the group.

This means that they take a shortcut through the forest, encounter strange signs, emblems looking like wicker men, abandoned huts. Luke also begins to have nightmares, seeing the supermarket again in the forest – and Dom blames him for abandoning their friend. Luke senses a monster stalking them and two of the friends are taken by the monster and transfixed in the trees.

Luke and Dom are captured by members of ancient community, worship of the diabolical God who keeps them in subjection and they gratefully survive. There is a preparation for the rituals for the monster, Tom being sacrificed with the monster initially appearing as his wife and transforming before killing him. Luke watches, gets free from his bonds, discovers more skeletons, sets alight some of the buildings. Ultimately, he has to confront the monster who looks, literally, diabolical (and the debate whether it would have been better to suggest the monster rather than showing him, something which could make him look a touch ridiculous).

As said, this is fairly straightforward and uncomplicated horror except for the forest, the community and its rituals. In this way, it is more effective.

1. The title? Expectations? Religious? Horror?

2. The British settings, the pub, the supermarket? The initial mood, jollity with the friends, the drink, the plans for a holiday? The tragedy and the death?

3. The Swedish settings (filmed in Romania)? The vast scenery, the mountains, the tracks, the forests? The huts in the woods? The centre for the rituals? The musical score and atmosphere?

4. The credibility of the plot, the ordinariness of the men and their friendship, their holidays together? The attack in the supermarket? Robert’s death and the pathos? Luke and his not helping, fear? The holiday together in Robert’s memory? The commemoration and the drink and toast? Walking, injuries, delays, days and nights, the forest, sinister, the huts? The atmosphere of menace, the stalker, the effect on the men, the signs, the community, the rituals, macabre deaths, ceremonies, the diabolical monster?

5. The interaction of the characters? Hutch and his commonsense? Phil and his friendship? Dom, married, bespectacled, the injuries, his complaints?

6. Luke as the central focus, getting the drinks at the beginning, watching as Robert was killed and his not intervening? His blaming himself? The ensuing nightmares? The reappearance of the supermarket in the forests, appearing and disappearing, his visions of Robert and dying? The accusations of cowardice? His reactions? The others and their judgement on him?

7. The beginnings of the track, enjoyable, the scenery? Dom and his injury, slowing them down?

8. The hauntings? Their being hunted?

9. The huts, the dreams, to the top of the hill, the sense of the monster?

10. The men working together, the plans, maps and compass, helping Dom?

11. Hutch, commonsense, his disappearance, his body in the trees? The same happening to Phil?

12. Luke and Dom, the community, their being taken, bound? The old woman with the food? The men? The sympathetic hostess? The old superstitions, subservient to the monster
bowing? The preparation of the rituals?

13. Dom, his being taken, tied up, at the stake, the appearance of his wife, transforming into the monster, his death?

14. Luke, watching, getting his hands free, the warning from the hostess? The suggestions? Going to the huts, skeletons, setting everything aflame? Getting the guns?

15. The appearance of the monster, diabolical, the struggle with Luke, bound down? The fire, the destruction of the monster?

16. An effective horror thriller?