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The Ritual

Play trailer Poster for The Ritual 2017 1h 34m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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74% Tomatometer 93 Reviews 63% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Reuniting after the tragic death of their friend, four college pals set out to hike through the Scandinavian wilderness. A wrong turn leads them into the mysterious forests of Norse legend, where an ancient evil exists and stalks them at every turn.
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The Ritual

The Ritual

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Critics Consensus

Director David Bruckner makes evocative use of the Scandinavian setting and a dedicated cast to deliver a handsome -- if familiar -- horror story.

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Critics Reviews

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Adam Nayman The Ringer Jul 31, 2018
This steely British import examines the cost of male-bonding rituals...it's nice to see a horror movie really go for it in the home stretch. Go to Full Review
Simon Abrams RogerEbert.com Feb 9, 2018
2/4
The most disappointing kind of bad horror movie: the kind that's too smart to be this dumb. Go to Full Review
Kristy Puchko Pajiba Feb 9, 2018
There'll be blood, and fire, and guns, and an axe. But there won't be satisfaction. Go to Full Review
David Day Horror Movie Talk Aug 6, 2025
7/10
Solid horror movie that leaves you with a little bit of something extra to think about at the end. How does fear affect your day-to-day life? Does fear control you, make you worship it? Go to Full Review
Brian Bisesi Horror Movie Club Podcast Nov 22, 2023
4/5
Realistic characters, excellent character design, and some horrific surprises combine to make The Ritual stand out as one of the better horror films of the 2010s. Go to Full Review
Howard Gorman NME (New Musical Express) Jun 10, 2021
Giving the tried and tested Blair Witch formula a Hangover face lift - sans the comedy - The Ritual is a highly effective shocker. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Renae R @pita93 3 days ago I do really like this movie but like most horror films the decision making of the characters can be infuriating. I just want them to turn their freaking flash light off and stop making themselves a walking target omg See more Gen C @RT11338420 4 days ago Awesome movie! The movie was very entertaining and made me feel like I was actually there hiking. The cult was really interesting. See more Guy V @Guy17 Oct 24, 2026 Ever carried so much internal guilt you wanted to go hiking? Follow this rag tag bunch of city folk as they explore Europe’s version of the Appalachian Trail. They confront their fears, each other, and their own existence as they travel through the woods. The ending left a little more to be desired. I had no issues sleeping after watching. See more Marco L @decatur555 Oct 22, 2026 A solid and entertaining folk-horror film that works better through atmosphere than originality. The premise is familiar: a group of friends, guilt, a wrong shortcut and a threatening forest where something ancient seems to be watching them. But the film uses that forest very well, turning trees, fog, shadows and strange symbols into a constant source of unease. What gives it extra weight is Luke's guilt and the tension inside the group; the external horror works because there is already an emotional wound. Rafe Spall is convincing as a frightened, blocked protagonist, and the friends feel believable enough as men whose old bond has started to rot. The threat is most effective when it is hidden, suggested through noises, marks, dreams and impossible bodies. The final stretch is more uneven: once everything becomes explicit, some mystery is lost, although the reveal has visual force. Not a masterpiece, but direct, dark, tense and very watchable. See more Tzina G @RT85745730 Oct 15, 2026 Slowwwwww a lot of talking and not much action Boring asf 2/10 See more Dnnyy C @RT21897579 Oct 9, 2026 great kida lost me at the end but the first 3rds is good and an amazing movie in total - defently worth a watch See more Read all reviews
The Ritual

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Movie Info

Synopsis Reuniting after the tragic death of their friend, four college pals set out to hike through the Scandinavian wilderness. A wrong turn leads them into the mysterious forests of Norse legend, where an ancient evil exists and stalks them at every turn.
Director
David Bruckner
Producer
Jonathan Cavendish, Richard Holmes, Andy Serkis
Screenwriter
Joe Barton
Production Co
Entertainment One
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 9, 2018
Runtime
1h 34m
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