And while The Ritual does a solid job in offering great looks at this original movie monster and explaining just enough of its mythology to satisfy most viewers, we wanted to dive a little deeper. Something is hunting them through the forest, picking them off one by one. In a maze-like forest, the gang comes across cryptic symbols, a seemingly abandoned cabin, and a headless effigy in the attic, but these are just the beginning of their troubles.
What starts out as a guys retreat in tribute to a fallen friend soon turns into a fight for survival as things take a turn for the very, very creepy. (Read Phil Brown's review here.) Beyond all that, it gets kicked up a notch for a truly remarkable movie monster that's a thrilling addition to the genre, but probably needs a little extra explanation for the viewers at home.Īdapted by Joe Barton from Adam Nevill's novel of the same name, The Ritual follows a group of college friends on a hiking trip in Sweden.
#The ritual monster full
I'm happy to say that David Bruckner's The Ritualis a rare horror film that actually has a solid cast, a story full of twists and turns you won't see coming, and a deeper emotional level to the narrative that's rare among macho movies these days. Even if the acting isn't up to snuff, the plot is something you've seen before, and the characters make some bonehead decisions, a good movie monster can salvage an otherwise forgettable flick. Sometimes, the most memorable part of a horror movie is its monster. Because of this, it's no surprise that his offspring would be odd and even malevolent, as Loki is often depicted as working against both Gods and humanity as it suits him.Mega spoilers ahead if you haven't watched The Ritual on Netflix yet. While it's certainly not uncommon for Gods throughout various pantheons to engage in behaviors that result in any number of strange offspring, Loki is particularly well-known for being a trickster in Norse mythology as well as a shapeshifter.
According to the cult, the being they worship is the Jötunn, a bastard son of Loki. This horrifying tribute of a decapitated person built from branches with antlers for hands is revealed to be worshipped by a cult and given sacrifices so they can sustain immortality in return. In The Ritual's penultimate scene, the surviving men discover a creature in the woods that, perhaps unsurprisingly, is connected to the macabre effigy they had previously discovered. These bone-chilling images certainly do not provide any semblance of security for the viewer, instead granting The Ritual a layer of dread-fascination as the group begins experiencing odd phenomena such as nightmares, visions of a strange, horned figure in the trees, and eventually physical harm that leads to death.
Soon after, they start seeing strange markings on trees and dead animals that have been ravaged and hung. The Ritual: What Is The Jötunn?Īs the friends make their way into the woods for their hiking trip, they stray from the marked trails and venture into unknown territory. While this approach is perhaps more typical of folk horror, it certainly begs the question of the myth's roots and how it differs from the tale presented by Bruckner's movie. Rather than conjuring the giant monsters typically produced by films like Troll or even more B-list hits like Anaconda and Lake Placid, The Ritual trades these overt beasts for taut exposition that slowly feeds into the Jötunn mythology. While certainly not a traditional creature feature, The Ritual explores traditional elements of Norse mythology through its Jötunn, which grants a spooky, ethereal feel to proceedings. Related: The Ritual: Why The Netflix Movie Is Better Than The Book These elements seamlessly blend into The Ritual, which follows a group of friends' hiking trip in Sweden to memorialize their recently murdered friend. The Ritual's all-star British cast of Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali, Robert James-Collier, and Sam Troughton were also given plaudits for their compelling portrayal of a strained group of friends' increasingly frayed decision-making.ĭrawing elements from The Blair Witch Project, and The Witch, The Ritual fits easily into the folk horror space, which has gone on to see more success with hits like Ari Aster's Midsommarand 2020's Gretel & Hansel. The folk horror arena is certainly an intriguing film space, traditionally led by haunting cinematography, slow-burn terror, and an interesting story. Directed by David Bruckner, The Ritual premiered in 2017 to strong critical consensus, which praised the pervading sense of dread throughout the film. The Netflix original horror movie, The Ritual, channeled some of the darker, more terrifying elements of Norse mythology through its introduction of a terrifying creature known as the Jötunn.
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