Film Review – The Ritual

“The Ritual” is based on a 2011 novel by Adam Nevill, but it plays like an update of “The Blair Witch Project,” only this time this time thirtysomething men are sent into the wilderness to experience the numerous horrors of camping. Characterization is strong in the picture, which showcases numerous concerns from a group of frightened men, but pacing is slack throughout, with director David Bruckner soaking in the juices of perilous travel but failing to secure a riveting sense of doom. “The Ritual” eventually arrives at a place of absolute danger and oddity, but it takes a long time to get there, with Bruckner strangely electing to simulate the extremely long and physically draining journey, leaving suspense more of an afterthought than a priority. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com