“The Ritual” Is Repetitive and Routine

The Ritual (David Midell, 2025) 1½ out of 5 stars

An exorcism is a fascinating practice that many films and stories revolve around. Yet it seems that ever since the original Exorcist film, most other possession movies fail. There are plenty of reasons why, but it is a shame that such an inherently intriguing concept often falls flat. Another example of this phenomenon occurs in director David Midell’s The Ritual.

In the movie, the sick and deteriorating Emma (Abigail Cowen, Redeeming Love) is brought to a young priest, Father Joseph Steiger (Dan Stevens, Abigail). Steiger has agreed to make his church available as a secure place so that an older priest, Father Theophilus Riesinger (Al Pacino, The Irishman) can perform an exorcism on Emma. At first, Steiger doubts Riesinger’s notions and believes Emma simply to be ill, but as many rituals are performed, Steiger begins to believe that there is a demonic presence living in Emma.

I’ve found that, in most horror films, it is rarely a smart choice to base a film solely around an exorcism. There needs to be some buildup and events that take place before an exorcism is tried in order to garner sympathy for the main person(s) that have been affected by possession. Without any background, it is difficult for the viewer to truly care and invest in the results.

I should note that The Ritual is based on a true story, apparently of the most documented exorcism in history. Knowing this, it is bizarre to me that Midell does not let us get to know Emma at all before she becomes possessed, and we first see her only when she is brought into the church, already in poor condition. This decision baffles me, as there had to be some documentation of what Emma was like before her possession, and even a brief scene depicting her normal self at all would go a long way. No such scene exists, however, and the viewer knows next to nothing about Emma as a result.

One can argue that this film is not really about Emma, and that it’s more about the two priests. This idea has some merit, and I would agree that the priests are the main characters. Unfortunately, the priests are only slightly more compelling than Emma but are still not fleshed out very well at all.

The younger priest, Steiger, is the film’s strongest character, but he speaks in a very monotone manner and his past is only very briefly touched upon. Steiger also makes some incredibly boneheaded decisions and is in denial about Emma’s condition for far too long, even with a whole boatload of evidence. While Pacino gives the film’s best performance as Riesinger, he is little more than a hollow shell of an old man who has a few intriguing quotes but offers little else.

While the characters are disappointing, the plot of the film is exactly what you think it is. That’s not quite a good thing, however. There are absolutely no surprises here, and the film falls into a vicious cycle of constant, repetitive rituals that are only slightly different each time and somehow get less compelling even as more events occur. It’s your usual fare, with scripture readings and a deep voice emanating from Emma’s mouth that sounds nothing like hers. Objects move, lights flicker … we’ve seen it all before. 

The Ritual does contain one unique aspect that is not typically found in this type of film, but it’s perhaps the story’s most annoying trait. The cinematography consists of strange, shoddy camera movement that seems like it was shot in a handheld manner. This is not a found-footage horror film, nor is it ever stated that anyone is videotaping the exorcism. So, why Midell chose to feature sudden zooms and quick pans similar to what you’d find in the comedic TV show The Office is beyond me. While this is certainly original, it is not fitting at all and is completely out of place.

In the end, The Ritual is a plain, uneventful, and uninteresting depiction of true events with forgettable characters, a standard plot, and jarring, sloppy cinematography. I wholeheartedly believe that this film would be better as a documentary. Instead of another run-of-the-mill possession movie, I think that a doc that features interviews with those who were there and witnessed this, containing more background information on Emma, would work far better.  With the track record of recent possession movies, maybe more of these cookie-cutter projects based on a true story should go that nonfiction route.

Matt Patti

Matt Patti has enjoyed voicing his opinions on films from a young age. He has lived in the Baltimore, Maryland, area since 2015 and is a graduate of Stevenson University’s Film & Moving Image program. Matt is currently back at Stevenson University, working as the School of Design, Arts, and Communication's Studio Manager.