The Ritual: 5 Reasons Its The Decades Most Underrated Horror Movie (& 5 Its Not) – Screen Rant

The Ritualwas a British horror movie released onto Netflix in 2017. Based on the novel of the same name,The Ritualtold the story of four friends who embark on a hiking holiday in Sweden in memory of their friend that was killed on a night out six months prior. The film had an impressive cast, with Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali, Sam Troughton, and Robert James-Collier on board. While the film did not reach a particularly wide audience, it was warmly received by critics and has also obtained a dedicated number of fans.

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This article will give 5 reasons why The Ritualwas the most underrated horror of the past decade (and 5 why it wasn't).

Perhaps the clearest reason whyThe Ritualis the most underrated horror of the decade was its lowkey release.Many horror movies usually have months, or even years, of marketing that help attract an audience to the movie.

However,The Ritualdid not have any such build-up. While some may argue that this was due to its release as a Netflix Original, it does not entirely answer the question. Other Netflix films have some kind of fanfare about their release, especially horror movies.

While it is true that theRitualdid not receive as many viewers as, perhaps, it deserved, this does not necessarily mean it was underrated. In terms of critical success,The Ritualwas fairly successful as it received 74% on Rotten Tomatoes but there is nothing to suggest that it was greater than this score.

The film was scary in parts and had strongperformances from the cast, but aside from those aspects, there was nothing to suggest it as a 'great' movie rather than just a 'good' movie.

While there are many horror movies released every year, there are very fewgoodones. Many horror movies rely on jump scares to deliver their thrills. However, the jump scare is the equivalent of a fast-food meal. A fast-food mealis a cheap and quick way to satisfysomeone's hunger, much like how a jump scare is a cheap and easy way to get a scare from an audience.

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The Ritual does not rely on jump scares. Rather, it relies on crafting a dense atmosphere of worry and anxiety that leaves you genuinely terrified for the characters.

While the film is certainly well made, with strong cinematography and stellar cast performances, there are few scenes that can be considered iconic. The great horror movies all have a famous line or scene that elevates them into a different plane. The Exorcist has the exorcism, Friday the 13th has the boat scene, and Poltergeist has "They're here."The Ritualdoesn't have anything quite as memorable as these iconic scenes.

This isn't to suggest that Netflix's movie is bad, just that it lacks that one moment that truly stands alongside the genre's greats.

While a jump scare may terrify a viewer for a split second, it does not continue to scare them throughout the movie and even after the final credits have rolled. This movie relies on crafting an atmosphere that will continue to unnerve the audience throughout the film, constantly making the viewer feel uneasy.

In addition to the supernatural atmosphere,The Ritual'spsychological horror component shouldnot be overlooked. Audiences see the effects of the journey on the characters, how it changes them and how they interact with each other.

The film opens with several mysteries that keep the audience intrigued, perhaps the most interesting of which was the nature of the creature that was following them and the mysteries surrounding the cult in the forest. However, the more we learn about these mysteries the less intriguing the movie becomes.

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This was one of the major criticisms of the movie and it is certainly worth mentioning. While an element of mystery is important to a plot, it does seem like TheRitualmay have depended upon it too much.

Horror movies aren't exactly known for their deep characters. Mostgenre entries are built around the central goal of scaring the audience, which can lead to trade-offs in other areas, notably in the character department.

However,The Ritualdoes not submit to these horror conventions. The characters are layered and have complex motivations, flaws, and arcs that make the movie enjoyable to watch, even if not constantly scary.

One of the main themes throughout The Ritualis the regret felt byRafe Spall's character at his own inaction that led to his friend's death. It was this one choice to not act that leads to most of the tension and character conflict throughout the movie. While this is undoubtedly interesting, the quest for redemption is not entirely fulfilled.

The film ends with Spall's character being the only survivor, yet as a redemption story, this doesn't seem to go far enough. Would it not have made more sense for the character to sacrifice something in order to receive his redemption?

One of the best things about the movieisits choice of monster. Throughout the film, the gang is being followed by a creature that they - and the audience - never quite get a good look at. However, towards the end of the film, we are treated to a quick shot of the creature and it is certainly unique.

The creature appears to be some kind of stag/gorilla cross with a demonic humanoid creature hanging out of the head. It is clearly terrifying and one would certainly not want to run into this creature in the woods.

While the monster is certainly unique, The Ritual cannot be entirely described as such. The plot of the movie is similar in concept to that ofBlair Witch, just without the found footage. In both movies, a group of characters slowly begin to mentally crack as they become more lost in the woods.

The main difference between the two movies appears to be the entity that is following the main characters. WhileThe Ritualis undoubtedly a good movie, the story threads have been covered before.

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Writer living in Adelaide, Australia. Long-suffering post-graduate student and lover of pop culture from Game of Thrones to DC.

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The Ritual: 5 Reasons Its The Decades Most Underrated Horror Movie (& 5 Its Not) - Screen Rant

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Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero
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