The Ritual (2017)

Director: David Bruckner
Stars: Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali, Robert James-Collier
Runtime: 94 minutes

Performances: 4/10
Screenplay: 2/10
Special Effects: N.A.
Costumes/Makeup: 6/10
Editing: 7/10
Cinematography: 8/10
Score/Soundtrack: 5/10

Verdict: "The Ritual" is the story of four friends who go on a hiking vacation in Sweden, where they become victims of a threatening presence. The presentation of this movie is by far the best aspect of it. It looks absolutely gorgeous. David Bruckner really picked a great location to shoot his film (in a Romanian forest), which at times reminded me of the setting of a similarly themed flick: "The Witch". Unfortunately, all of it was wasted on a mediocre script and some wooden acting. The four main characters had no chemistry whatsoever, were really annoying, and made some rather questionable decisions that, like in many horror movies, made me internally scream at them. The dialogue written for them did not help either, as it was cringy and cheesy most of the time. "The Ritual", had it been put in the hands of another screenwriter, could've been one of the best horror films of the past few years, but unfortunately was ultimately a disappointment.

Final Grade: 4/10