The horror genre is one of the few arenas where doing things “by the books” is not necessarily a bad thing; in fact, it is practically a necessity, to one degree or another. Monster films adhere to this rule more than most, as there is a pretty clear narrative trajectory that should be followed: a small group of people stumble into unknown territory, a creature stalks and kills members of the group one by one, and the surviving members either kill the beast and escape or become the final victims. The surprise in these narratives comes from the final outcome, as well as the nature of the monster itself and, by extension, the manner in which it preys on its victims. The backstory for the principal characters and the plots not directly related to the monster are generally just filler, distracting from the tension, adding subtext, or allowing for a degree of profundity in the struggle between the humans and the monster. David Bruckner’s The Ritual does not deviate from this formula, but manages to be an engrossing and thoroughly entertaining film, despite being plainly derivative.
One night, five friends are out at a pub discussing where they would like to go on holiday. Rob (Paul Reid) wants to go on a hike through Sweden, but some of the others are resistant to the idea. Upon leaving, the group stops at a convenience store, but only Rob and Luke (Rafe Spall) enter. As they continue to discuss their holiday plans, a group of armed robbers enter the store. While Luke is able to hide, the robbers threaten and eventually kill Rob. Six months later, Luke and the rest of the group – Phil (Arsher Ali), Dom (Sam Troughton), and Hutch (Robert James-Collier) – set out on a hike through Sweden’s Sarek National Park in honor of Rob. Though Luke is still haunted by his inaction and cowardice during the robbery, he hopes to put it out of his mind and enjoy the holiday. However, Dom hurts his knee early on in the trip, prompting Hutch to suggest a shorter route through the woods. When the group experiences unexplained phenomena and finds the grisly remains of slain animals, they begin to realize that the woods are much more dangerous than they could have ever imagined.
There is not one particular quality that elevates The Ritual above similar stories, but all of the parts work together in a way that satisfies the itch horror junkies have for quality entertainment. Thanks in part to advancing technologies and funding projects via the Internet, the democratization of film production has led to a wave of cheap, derivative horror films that have clogged the channels of film viewership. It is a genre that doesn’t require large budgets, especially since most scares can be accomplished through sound buses and cinematic techniques that amount to little more than parlour tricks. For horror fans, these kind of low-budget, hackneyed indie films have given the genre a bad name, so when something like The Ritual comes along, it is a refreshing reprise from the onslaught of mediocrity, despite its indisputable similarity to other works.
This is not to say that indie horror is a bad thing; putting cameras in the hands of non-commercial artists is vital, and exceptional films, both horror and otherwise, have been produced as a result. It is only that the sheer number of horror films that are being crowdfunded or paid for out-of-pocket have produced a wide range of quality, which, from the outside looking in, deteriorates the image of a genre that has struggled for legitimacy and respect since the birth of the cinema. Large budgets are certainly not a prerequisite for artistry (in fact they often stifle it), but in the case of horror, lacking funds is no longer a barrier to entry, which has had the unintended side effect of a general lowering in quality.
Having said all that, The Ritual works to undo the image of low-budget horror as a hotbed for poor film practice. On a budget of about $1 million, director David Bruckner manages to build a visual monster film that maintains a sense of dread throughout. The setting, in the woodlands and mountains of Sweden, is simultaneously gorgeous and unsettling. With every mile the protagonists trek, you get the ever-increasing notion that they are dooming themselves to a violent death, despite not understanding the nature of the threat for the vast majority of the film. While that description could apply to many, many horror films, and I do not conceal the fact that this is certainly not a story with many new ideas, the combination of the setting and the sense of ancient lore that comes along with it, makes for a surprisingly fun and engaging experience that manages to produce what many low-budget horror films cannot: actual horror.
Rating: ★★★½ out of 5
The Ritual is available to stream via Netflix.