It’s hard to imagine, but to this point in his career, the inimitable Al Pacino has never found himself in the cheap horror stream, no supporting expository role in a 2000s Horror feature, no Blumhouse screamer, nothing. That is, until now. If director David Midell sought to create the most uninspired and redundant exorcism feature, he certainly succeeded. Despite its lead pairing of Pacino and Dan Stevens, The Ritual is yet another tedious and exhausting exorcism film that is shot like an episode of Succession, which, aside from the occasional chuckle, did not significantly enhance the experience. Instead, this choice served as nothing more than a distraction, highlighting the film’s inadequacy in other areas that may not have been outlined otherwise. That being said, those in for a cheap popcorn horror flick will be doubly disappointed as the film lacks in scares either, unless Al Pacino’s accents and a wooden Dan Stevens are particularly frightening, then this is chock-full of thrills. Following a moment of unintentional hilarity in its opening moments, the film simply disappoints at every turn.
Structured around the rituals in place to perform an exorcism, the film centers on what it cites as “the most documented Exorcism case in American history,” that of the case of Emma Schmidt (Abigail Cowen), a young girl whose condition can only be cured by the church through exorcism. Father Joseph Seiger (Stevens), and his parish, found themselves tasked to take on the case. Conducting the exorcism with the assistance of Father Steiger, and a group of nuns from his parish, is Father Theophilus Riesinger (Pacino). Once arriving at the Parish, Reisinger and Steiger conduct a series of rituals to combat the demon, exorcising it from the girl, all while Steiger fights off a waning faith in the wake of a great personal tragedy. As some might suspect, the narrative is as redundant as it could get, playing off tropes that have trickled down the well through the decades of works within the genre, offering no new twist or narrative nuance to capture the attention of audiences; hoping instead that its quality cast is enough to smoke screen the amateurish production.
Therein lies the biggest issue of the film, though its lack of creativity or thrills are boring enough, accompanying it is a production suffering from poor lighting and bizarre camera decisions and choices, as the faux-cinema verite filmmaking creates for several scenes dipping in and out of focus, often paired with a poorly lit room and mumbled dialogue. It is certainly disappointing that, given the film’s great cast, Pacino goes without saying, but Stevens is a performer that has especially excelled in horror films. The Ritual feels like a rare misfire, a film that just seems at odds with what Stevens can add to the film. Meanwhile, Ashley Greene, who plays Sister Rose, feels underused and her overall presence is forgettable here.
In the end, it is a pretty stark indicator that a film is not working despite having many elements that audiences might normally enjoy, at least on paper, yet it continuously falls over itself. Its decision to take itself so seriously ultimately prevents it from reaching its real potential as a fun film that uses its premise and genre to its advantage. While 2024’s The Exorcism delivered yet another bad exorcism film, through all its faults, it at least had a committed Russel Crowe at the centre of it, and had some narrative vision. The Ritual struggles to meet even the most satisfactory conditions laid out for its success, easily making it one of the worst films of 2025.
Trailer
Score: 15/100
*still courtesy of VVS Films*
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