The Ritual
3/4
Starring: Rafe Spall, Robert James-Collier, Sam Troughton, Arsher Ali
Not Rated (Probable R for Strong Language and Terror Violence/Gore)
Little of what happens in "The Ritual" is original. But that's less of a problem than you might thing. Effective performances and a palpable sense of dread and fear overcome the fact that very little happens in this movie that you haven't seen before. For a Netflix movie, that's actually a compliment.
After the death of their friend, four friends decide to go on a hiking trip in his honor. Luke (Spall), Phil (Ali), Hutch (James-Collins) and Dom (Troughton) are doing fine in the hills of Norway when Dom trips and injures his leg. Because he can barely walk on it (and has a history of whining), Hutch decides to take a shortcut to the lodge. As you can guess, this turns out to be a very bad idea.
"The Ritual" borrows from a number of horror movies, but it at least borrows from some good ones. Influences from "The Blair Witch Project" and "The Descent" are fairly obvious, and I also thought of the indie horror film "The Shrine." This isn't as innovative (or frightening) as the former films but it has the same low-budget quality of the latter. It's an efficient, low-budget chiller.
The performances are solid but not flashy. Up and comer Rafe Spall (son of the great British character actor Timothy Spall) is solid as the guilt-ridden Luke. Robert James-Collier is just as good as the alpha-male Hutch. Sam Troughton manages to be the liability without being annoying. Only Arsher Ali doesn't hold up his end. He has nothing to do and Phil is almost invisible.
What the film does have is a sense of atmosphere. There is a constant sense that things are going from bad to worse and the possibility of a happy ending lessens with each passing moment. Credit must go to the evocative camerawork by Andrew Shulkind for creating such a sense of dread and terror. While it isn't top-of-the-line work, what Shulkind and director David Bruckner achieve isn't easy (there are plenty of films with the same aim but don't reach it). So when it's done well, it's worth congratulating them for.
The film is too long and occasionally suffers from sluggish pacing. A movie like this burns slowly, but the pace must be steady and relentless. There are times when Bruckner would have done well to quicken the pace a bit and cut more judiciously.
One final note: the villain of the film is totally cool. I won't say more to avoid spoilers, but those responsible for creating it should give themselves a hearty clap on the back. It's creepy and so visually inventive that I wish I got a better look at it.
"The Ritual" is not original or even a particularly good horror movie. But it is what it is, and for those who like this sort of movie, it's worth checking out. I saw it, was creeped out, and enjoyed it. And that's the bottom line.
Starring: Rafe Spall, Robert James-Collier, Sam Troughton, Arsher Ali
Not Rated (Probable R for Strong Language and Terror Violence/Gore)
Little of what happens in "The Ritual" is original. But that's less of a problem than you might thing. Effective performances and a palpable sense of dread and fear overcome the fact that very little happens in this movie that you haven't seen before. For a Netflix movie, that's actually a compliment.
After the death of their friend, four friends decide to go on a hiking trip in his honor. Luke (Spall), Phil (Ali), Hutch (James-Collins) and Dom (Troughton) are doing fine in the hills of Norway when Dom trips and injures his leg. Because he can barely walk on it (and has a history of whining), Hutch decides to take a shortcut to the lodge. As you can guess, this turns out to be a very bad idea.
"The Ritual" borrows from a number of horror movies, but it at least borrows from some good ones. Influences from "The Blair Witch Project" and "The Descent" are fairly obvious, and I also thought of the indie horror film "The Shrine." This isn't as innovative (or frightening) as the former films but it has the same low-budget quality of the latter. It's an efficient, low-budget chiller.
The performances are solid but not flashy. Up and comer Rafe Spall (son of the great British character actor Timothy Spall) is solid as the guilt-ridden Luke. Robert James-Collier is just as good as the alpha-male Hutch. Sam Troughton manages to be the liability without being annoying. Only Arsher Ali doesn't hold up his end. He has nothing to do and Phil is almost invisible.
What the film does have is a sense of atmosphere. There is a constant sense that things are going from bad to worse and the possibility of a happy ending lessens with each passing moment. Credit must go to the evocative camerawork by Andrew Shulkind for creating such a sense of dread and terror. While it isn't top-of-the-line work, what Shulkind and director David Bruckner achieve isn't easy (there are plenty of films with the same aim but don't reach it). So when it's done well, it's worth congratulating them for.
The film is too long and occasionally suffers from sluggish pacing. A movie like this burns slowly, but the pace must be steady and relentless. There are times when Bruckner would have done well to quicken the pace a bit and cut more judiciously.
One final note: the villain of the film is totally cool. I won't say more to avoid spoilers, but those responsible for creating it should give themselves a hearty clap on the back. It's creepy and so visually inventive that I wish I got a better look at it.
"The Ritual" is not original or even a particularly good horror movie. But it is what it is, and for those who like this sort of movie, it's worth checking out. I saw it, was creeped out, and enjoyed it. And that's the bottom line.
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