The Ritual Parent Guide

Father Joseph Steiger (Dan Stevens) is grieving the loss of his brother, but he has other problems to worry about. Emma Schmidt (Abigail Cowen), one of his parishioners, has been suffering from bizarre symptoms and doctors have been unable to help her. Her condition is so dire that the Church has sanctioned an exorcism, to be performed by the radical Father Theophilius Riesinger (Al Pacino) in Father Steiger’s own church and with his extensive assistance. Caught between Emma’s horrifying condition on one side and pressure from the Church on the other, Father Steiger must do everything he can to help Father Riesinger.

The Ritual has a lot of issues, but the biggest one is that it’s hard to watch. Literally. The camera is shaky, wobbly, and randomly zooms in and out in a way that made me motion sick. You don’t want to spend too long looking directly at the screen unless you really like doing the technicolor yawn. And then you get to what’s being filmed on those shaky cameras…

With roughly four million films already made about exorcisms, there isn’t a lot of unexplored territory, but this particular entry into the genre didn’t find any of it, settling for well-trodden plotlines. Absent any original on-screen material, my mind wandered like a dementia patient in an unlocked hospital, and on a few occasions, I nearly dozed off. You’ve seen everything in this movie somewhere else - and it’s usually been done better.

I had high hopes for Al Pacino, but he’s almost incomprehensible under a muffled, vaguely European accent and even if he were stealing the show, the script doesn’t give him much to steal. I have no idea who would want to watch this warmed-over demonic possession plot, but I am certain it’s not a good choice for family viewing - demonic possession being a tricky plot point for the kiddies.

If you haven’t seen several dozen versions of this movie already, it’s possible that the script’s stunning lack of originality will bother you less, but if you’re even passingly familiar with the conventions of the genre, there isn’t a lot here for you. I can think of better ways to make yourself queasy, and none of them involve watching the camera duck and weave like the operator is shadowboxing Rocky Balboa while shooting the film.

About author

Keith Hawkes

Keith Hawkes graduated from Mount Royal University, Calgary, Canada with a degree in English and History. His interests are movies, American literature, science fiction, almost every kind of music, and museums. He enjoys criticizing films for fun - although he's okay with being paid for it.