The Ritual main backdrop
The Ritual main poster

The Ritual

Visit website

6.0/10 • 14

2025-05-271h 38m

Horror

You must have faith.

Two priests, one in crisis with his faith and the other confronting a turbulent past, must overcome their differences to perform a risky exorcism.

Directors
David Midell
Writters
David Midell
Editors
David Midell, Enrico Natale

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  1. Al Pacino

    Al Pacino

    Father Theophilus Riesinger

  2. Dan Stevens

    Dan Stevens

    Father Joseph Steiger

  3. Ashley Greene

    Ashley Greene

    Sister Rose

  4. Abigail Cowen

    Abigail Cowen

    Emma Schmidt

  5. Patricia Heaton

    Patricia Heaton

    Mother Superior

  6. Patrick Fabian

    Patrick Fabian

    Bishop Edwards

  7. María Camila Giraldo

    María Camila Giraldo

    Sister Camila

  8. Meadow Williams

    Meadow Williams

    Sister Sarah

  9. Enrico Natale

    Enrico Natale

    Dr. Fabian

Reviews1

View Reviews
CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Jun 4, 2025

5/10

I’m guessing that Russell Crowe was busy for this latest exercise in priestly exorcism so an hardly recognisable Al Pacino decided to have a go. He is a Capetian father drafted in to help the reluctant Fr. Joseph (Dan Stevens) with a particularly difficult task. Fr. Theophilus must help rid the poor young Emma (Abigail Cowen) of an unwanted bodily guest. His methods do not impress the rather naive young father, nor the sisters in attendance as she increasingly resorts to involuntary bleeding, foul language, violent outbursts and even the usual hanging upside down from the ceiling lamp trick whilst under relentless assault from the repetitious bible verses being read across what I counted are at least seven of those ritual attempts at expulsion. Sound familiar? Well that’s because it is. Aside from Pacino turning in a slightly different style of performance from his norm, the rest of this hasn’t an original bone in it’s body. Indeed, its only claim to fame appears to be that it is based on the original, almost century old, transcriptions from Fr. Joseph of events that are really supposed to have happened but we’ve seen this all predictably play out so many times before that even the traditional collapsible bed doesn’t turn an head - spiritual or metaphysically. The one element that does provoke a little interest is, perhaps, the clear indication that Catholicism in the 1920s was riddled with incantations, superstitions and a degree of symbolism that probably hadn’t changed since much since there was a Borgia on the throne of St. Peter. This might work on the telly at Halloween of you’re full of Grappa, but as a cinema experience it is disappointing and entirely forgettable, sorry.

Media

  • The Ritual poster
  • The Ritual poster
  • The Ritual poster
  • The Ritual poster
  • The Ritual poster
  • The Ritual poster
  • The Ritual poster
  • The Ritual poster
  • The Ritual poster

Recommendations

  • Unknown: Cave of Bones main backdrop

    Unknown: Cave of Bones

    7.3

  • The Karate Kid Part II main backdrop

    The Karate Kid Part II

    6.3

  • Stand Your Ground main backdrop

    Stand Your Ground

    4.8

  • Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga main backdrop

    Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

    7.5

  • Breathe main backdrop

    Breathe

    5.7

  • The Instigators main backdrop

    The Instigators

    6.2

  • Wicked Little Letters main backdrop

    Wicked Little Letters

    6.9

  • Companion main backdrop

    Companion

    7.1

  • EO main backdrop

    EO

    6.5

  • The Imaginary main backdrop

    The Imaginary

    7.9

  • Force of Nature: The Dry 2 main backdrop

    Force of Nature: The Dry 2

    6.4

  • Civil War main backdrop

    Civil War

    6.9

  • Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person main backdrop

    Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person

    7.4

  • An Ideal Father main backdrop

    An Ideal Father

    6.3

  • Influencer main backdrop

    Influencer

    6.2

  • Late Spring main backdrop

    Late Spring

    8.0

  • Upon Entry main backdrop

    Upon Entry

    6.7

  • Conclave main backdrop

    Conclave

    7.2

  • Stopmotion main backdrop

    Stopmotion

    6.3

  • The Four Troublesome Heads main backdrop

    The Four Troublesome Heads

    7.2

Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
exorcismpossesionpriests