Every horror story seems to start the same way: “based on true events” and promising to be the scariest tale in American history. The Ritual, the latest religious horror directed by David Midell and co-written by Midell and Enrico Natale, follows that well-worn path. The story centers on two priests—Theophilus Riesinger (Al Pacino) and Joseph Steiger (Dan Stevens) who must put aside their theological differences to perform a series of grueling exorcisms on a young woman, Emma Schmidt (Abigail Cowen).
Theophilus, more skeptical and grounded, suspects Emma’s condition is psychological, while Steiger is convinced it’s the work of a demonic force. Their opposing beliefs fracture their unity, creating spiritual and literal chaos during the exorcism. Emma’s descent is harrowing, as the film portrays her possession as a slow, painful deterioration of body and soul.
Though inspired by real people and events, The Ritual veers into fiction, borrowing familiar Catholic tropes and theological one-liners like, “You may be new to the enemy’s schemes, but he is not new to them.” The film tries to say something about faith, unity, and spiritual warfare, but its impact feels diluted.
Shot in the handheld, documentary style often used in possession films like The Last Exorcism or The Blair Witch Project, the aesthetic tries to evoke realism, but the production design, costuming, and effects often feel a bit too budget-conscious to fully convince. Performances are serviceable, though not especially memorable.
The 72-hour final exorcism sequence brings the expected chaos: screaming, thrashing, levitating objects, and guttural demonic growls. It’s intense, but formulaic. By the film’s end, Steiger is left spiritually shaken, chronicling the ordeal with no clear answer as to whether what he witnessed was divine or delusional, only that it’s altered him forever. The Ritual is sadly more familiar than frightening.
