Movie Review: “The Ritual” is a spooky trip through the Swedish wilderness

Movie Review: “The Ritual” (R)

Netflix has been taking a lot of crap as of late. But quite frankly, if this hugely popular streaming service is willing to fund projects by iconic filmmakers like Martin Scorsese (watch for “The Irishman” in 2019), and if it continues streaming solid content like “Mudbound” and “Stranger Things,” we the film fans should consider ourselves incredibly fortunate. I’ll always be a proud supporter of the theatrical experience (it’s simply in my DNA), but there’s plenty of room for services like Netflix, too. Especially when they drop surprisingly effective titles like the new horror film “The Ritual.”

In this atmospheric gem of a genre flick, four college friends head out on a hiking trip through the Swedish wilderness following an unforeseen tragedy. From the get go, a leg injury puts a damper on the excursion, and from that point, things go from worse to downright terrifying as something in the woods declares hunting season on these terrified men. What this thing is and what it wants is best left unspoiled here, but one thing is certain: “The Ritual” will do absolutely nothing to promote tourism in the Swedish wilderness. And given that this is a horror film, that’s a good thing.

The setup here is pretty simple, and there’s no doubt that “The Ritual” echoes expert works of horror like “The Descent” and the ground-breaking cheapie “The Blair Witch Project,” but it all works thanks to solid execution. Credit director David Bruckner (“The Signal”) for effectively building tension throughout and for wisely subscribing to the kind of less-is-more approach that would make the likes of Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” proud.

Now I’m certainly not suggesting that “The Ritual” is as good as “Jaws,” but it is a reminder that sometimes what you don’t see is scarier than what you do see. And further props to team “The Ritual” for not copping out. This is to say that this movie isn’t all about the power of suggestion. Rest assured, it does deliver the creature-feature goods. Without venturing too far into spoiler territory, let’s just say that in the end, what we do end up seeing is just as effective as what we don’t see.

The performances in “The Ritual aren’t half bad, either, most notably a solid Rafe Spall (“Hot Fuzz,” “The Big Short”). As a guilt-stricken man forced to confront his demons head on, Spall brings complexity to the proceedings, and by the end of the picture it’s clear that his battle is every bit as emotional and psychological as it is physical.

Again, “The Ritual” is pretty simplistic in terms of its overall premise. Furthermore, the title gives a little too much away. That said, Bruckner directs the crap out of this thing. This movie is spooky and atmospheric, and it offers up a handful of visual gags I wont soon forget. If you’re fan of horror, throw “The Ritual” into your Netflix queue now! It’s completely worth your time.

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