The Ritual

Reviews

CinemaSerf
I’m guessing that Russell Crowe was busy for this latest exercise in priestly exorcism so an hardly recognisable Al Pacino decided to have a go. He is a Capetian father drafted in to help the reluctant Fr. Joseph (Dan Stevens) with a particularly difficult task. Fr. Theophilus must help rid the poor young Emma (Abigail Cowen) of an unwanted bodily guest. His methods do not impress the rather naive young father, nor the sisters in attendance as she increasingly resorts to involuntary bleeding, foul language, violent outbursts and even the usual hanging upside down from the ceiling lamp trick whilst under relentless assault from the repetitious bible verses being read across what I counted are at least seven of those ritual attempts at expulsion. Sound familiar? Well that’s because it is. Aside from Pacino turning in a slightly different style of performance from his norm, the rest of this hasn’t an original bone in it’s body. Indeed, its only claim to fame appears to be that it is based on the original, almost century old, transcriptions from Fr. Joseph of events that are really supposed to have happened but we’ve seen this all predictably play out so many times before that even the traditional collapsible bed doesn’t turn an head - spiritual or metaphysically. The one element that does provoke a little interest is, perhaps, the clear indication that Catholicism in the 1920s was riddled with incantations, superstitions and a degree of symbolism that probably hadn’t changed since much since there was a Borgia on the throne of St. Peter. This might work on the telly at Halloween of you’re full of Grappa, but as a cinema experience it is disappointing and entirely forgettable, sorry.
Movie Recommendation
- Rust2025-05-01Infamous outlaw Harland Rust breaks his estranged grandson Lucas out of prison, after Lucas is convicted to hang for an accidental murder. The two must outrun legendary U.S Marshal Wood Helm and bounty hunter Fenton "Preacher" Lang who are hot on their tails. Deeply buried secrets rise from the ashes and an unexpected familial bond begins to form as the mismatched duo tries to survive the merciless American Frontier.More...
- When the Light Breaks2024-10-17When the light breaks on a long summer’s day in Iceland. From one sunset to another, Una, a young art student, encounters love, friendship, sorrow and beauty.More...
- Stand Your Ground2025-05-09Former Special Forces operative, Jack Johnson, uses the Stand Your Ground law to seek vengeance for his wife’s murder, igniting a brutal war against a local crime lord’s family and ending in an explosive showdown.More...
- I Am the End of the World2025-01-09Forced to come back to Palermo to take care of his elderly parents, a deadpan driver-for-hire takes advantage of the situation to get back at the rigid authority figures who ruined his teenage years.More...
- Lilo & Stitch2025-05-17The wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken family.More...
- The Turning2020-01-23A young woman quits her teaching job to become a private tutor and governess for two wealthy young kids, but soon starts to suspect there’s more to their house than meets the eye.More...
- How to Train Your Dragon2025-06-06On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart, defying centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.More...
- Ballerina2025-06-04Taking place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Eve Macarro begins her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma.More...
- The Karate Kid Part II1986-06-18Summoned by his dying father, Miyagi returns to his homeland of Okinawa, with Daniel, after a 40-year exile. There he must confront Yukie, the love of his youth, and Sato, his former best friend turned vengeful rival. Sato is bent on a fight to the death, even if it means the destruction of their village. Daniel finds his own love in Yukia's niece, Kumiko, and his own enemy in Sato's nephew, the vicious Chozen. Now, far away from the tournaments, cheering crowds and safety of home, Daniel will face his greatest challenge ever when the cost of honor is life itself.More...
- Dogville2003-05-21When beautiful young Grace arrives in the isolated township of Dogville, the small community agrees to hide her from a gang of ruthless gangsters, and, in return, Grace agrees to do odd jobs for the townspeople.More...
- Predator: Killer of Killers2025-06-05While three of the fiercest warriors in human history—a Viking raider, a ninja in feudal Japan, and a WWII pilot—are killers in their own right, they are merely prey for their new opponent: the ultimate killer of killers.More...
- Flow2024-08-29A solitary cat, displaced by a great flood, finds refuge on a boat with various species and must navigate the challenges of adapting to a transformed world together.More...
- A Quiet Place: Day One2024-06-26As New York City is invaded by alien creatures who hunt by sound, a woman named Sam fights to survive with her cat.More...
- Knives Out2019-11-27When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan's dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan's untimely death.More...
- Amélie2001-04-25At a tiny Parisian café, the adorable yet painfully shy Amélie accidentally discovers a gift for helping others. Soon Amelie is spending her days as a matchmaker, guardian angel, and all-around do-gooder. But when she bumps into a handsome stranger, will she find the courage to become the star of her very own love story?More...
- Barbie2023-07-19Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.More...
- Dune2021-09-15Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet's exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence-a commodity capable of unlocking humanity's greatest potential-only those who can conquer their fear will survive.More...
- Good Will Hunting1997-12-05Headstrong yet aimless, Will Hunting has a genius-level IQ but chooses to work as a janitor at MIT. When he secretly solves highly difficult graduate-level math problems, his talents are discovered by Professor Gerald Lambeau, who decides to help the misguided youth reach his potential. When Will is arrested for attacking a police officer, Professor Lambeau makes a deal to get leniency for him if he gets court-ordered therapy. Eventually, therapist Dr. Sean Maguire helps Will confront the demons that are holding him back.More...
- Gone Girl2014-10-01With his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent.More...
- Dunkirk2017-07-19The story of the miraculous evacuation of Allied soldiers from Belgium, Britain, Canada and France, who were cut off and surrounded by the German army from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk between May 26th and June 4th 1940 during World War II.More...
Similar Movies
The Omen
1995-09-08Jack Mann is a writer reporter for the Associated Press. Annalisse Summer is an ER nurse dedicated to help people: Dr Linus is a doctor who has seen what Jack and Analisse have: an evil entity that seeks to destroy and has joined them to help stop it (the entity posses people and controls them to do its bidding).Amityville Exorcism
2017-01-03A family must put faith in a mysterious priest when an demonic force, connected to a decades-old murders in their home, possesses their daughter.The Cleansing Hour
2019-10-25Two millennial entrepreneurs stage elaborate fake exorcisms on social media until one of their girlfriends becomes possessed by a demon.Constantine
2005-02-08John Constantine has literally been to Hell and back. When he teams up with a policewoman to solve the mysterious suicide of her twin sister, their investigation takes them through the world of demons and angels that exists beneath the landscape of contemporary Los Angeles.The Beast Inside
2024-12-03Anne inherits a family demon after her mother's death. Now inside Anne, it grows stronger. Desperate, she attempts self-exorcism in a motel room, fighting to save herself and her son from becoming the demon's next victim.The Nun
2018-09-05A priest with a haunted past and a novice on the threshold of her final vows are sent by the Vatican to investigate the death of a young nun in Romania and confront a malevolent force in the form of a demonic nun.The Call
2006-03-01Pirelli Film's first promotional short, starring John Malcovich and Naomi Campbell.The Exorcist
1973-12-26When a charming 12-year-old girl takes on the characteristics and voices of others, doctors say there is nothing they can do. As people begin to die, the girl's mother realizes her daughter has been possessed by the Devil. Her daughter's only possible hope lies with two priests and the ancient rite of demonic exorcism.The Order
2003-09-05For centuries, a secret Order of priests has existed within the Church. A renegade priest, Father Alex Bernier, is sent to Rome to investigate the mysterious death of one of the Order's most revered members. Following a series of strangely similar killings, Bernier launches an investigation that forces him to confront unimaginable evil.Orcus
2022-03-22A priest gathers together a team of desperate people to rob a church and kidnap a young woman with a dark secret.Exorcist: The Beginni...
2004-08-20Years before Father Merrin helped save Regan MacNeil’s soul, he first encounters the demon Pazuzu in East Africa.The Crucifix
2025-01-09A gruesome discovery in the grounds of their new home plunges a young couple into a maelstrom of spiritual possession, pagan rituals, Viking battles, and violent revenge.VooDoo
2017-02-24When Dani, an innocent southern girl, vacations to Los Angeles to evade her increasingly complicated life, she learns that escaping her past isn't as easy as she hoped.The House of Exorcism...
1975-04-02A re-edited version of Mario Bava's "Lisa and the Devil" for the U.S. market, including newly filmed scenes involving a possessed Lisa.When the Lights Went ...
2012-01-31Yorkshire, 1974, the Maynard family moves into their dream house. It's a dream that quickly descends into a panic stricken nightmare as the family discovers a horrifying truth, a truth that will make the history books. The house is already occupied by the most violent poltergeist ever documented, a poltergeist that will tear you from your bed as you sleep and drag you helplessly into the darkness.Grace
2014-10-28A unique horror film told from the first-person perspective of Grace - a naive, virginal college freshman trying to deal with campus culture and her outgoing roommate as an evil entity takes over her body and unleashes chaos.Islamic Exorcist
2017-05-26The lives of an Indian couple are devastated when their adopted daughter becomes possessed by a demonic force. The father shoots the daughter to death, However an investigative journalist doesn't believe in their story and becomes determine to know the real truth by going much deeper in the couple's scary past.Amityville II: The Po...
1982-09-24Anthony and Dolores Montelli, along with their four children, move into their dream house in Amityville and are immediately plagued by a string of paranormal experiences. When the abusive Anthony wrongly places the blame on their children, Dolores recruits a local Catholic priest to exorcise the house.Teenage Exorcist
1991-12-05Diane is a repressed, neurotic grad student, who moves into a cursed mansion only to be possessed by the house's demonic master. She is then transformed into a raven-haired, leather and lingerie-clad seductress, who seeks a virgin sacrifice for her master. Meanwhile her sister, brother-in-law, a priest, and a pizza boy try to rescue her while avoiding the demon's wrath.SoulMaid
2007-06-09Loosely based on the classic story of Sleeping Beauty, this irreverent gay fairy tale for modern audiences follows a man named Moses, whose frequent seizures are characterized by the appearance of Glintentica, a spurned Goddess planning her return to earth. Problems arise when Glintentica becomes determined to take over the soul of David, Moses' new love interest.