A Review of The
Ritual by Olszyk
Distribution Service: Theatrical
MPAA Rating, R
OSV Rating, Not rated at the time of this review
Reel Rating, Two Reels
Exorcism
movies are a dime a dozen these days; seven
were released in the last year alone. The Ritual attempts to
separate from the herd by marketing itself as the “real case” on which the
original 1973 film was based. Indeed, director David Midell constructs his
narrative to fit this more famous classic. Unfortunately, everything this film
does is worse, ending on a happier note but without any larger meaning.
Fr. Steiger
(Dan Stevens) appears to be a model young priest. Well educated, enthusiastic,
and handsome, he leads his 1920s Midwestern parish with determination and
sobriety. Yet, beneath the surface, he suffers doubts based on a recent
tragedy. He is approached by his Bishop with an odd request: supervise the
excorism of a young woman at a nearby convent. When Steiger expresses
hesitation, the Bishop insists he won’t be performing the ceremony, only
observing. Nevertheless, something seems off about the whole affair.
He arrives
at the convent to meet the priest who will perform the rite, an elderly Franciscan
Fr. Riesinger (Al Pacino), whose accent and mannerisms were clearly inspired by
Padre Pio. He also meets the subject Emma, who clearly is suffering from some
sort of ailment, though Steiger is initially skeptical of its supernatural
quality. Riesinger, however, is convinced she is possessed, claiming she has
already seen a round of doctors. For him, the existence of the demonic is as
obvious as the sun rising and setting. Over the course of the next week, Riesinger
performs a major exorcism daily with Steiger and the nuns assisting. Every
time, Emma grows more and more violent and begins to manifest supernatural
phenomena. Again and again, Steiger wants to quit but Riesinger pushes him
through.
If all this
sounds familiar, The Ritual follows the narrative of The Excorist
almost point for point (or visa versa). There’s the innocent young woman taken
by a demon, the skeptical younger priest, the seasoned older priest, even the
Mother Superior of the covenant acts like the disillusioned mother played by Ellen
Burstyn. The big difference is that psychology had not yet been a
well-established science in the 1920s, so there isn’t much talk about “mental
health,” although naturalistic possibilities are explored. Even the tropes of the
genre are copied like jump scares, vomit, and ominous music.
Despite its
spiritual flaws, The Exorcist is a masterpiece of cinematic
craftmanship. The Ritual isn’t as blessed. The camera work is incredibly
distracting, relying heavily on a handheld approach that has cursed movies in
recent years. Since the early 2010s, it appears cinematographers collectively
forgot that tripods exist. There are many small story beats that appear and go
nowhere. For example, Riesinger frequently sees a hooded figure that whispers
blasphemies at him, but the audience never discovers who it is or what he is
doing. Fortunately, Stevens and Pacino
give excellent performances in their roles, one of the film’s few saving
graces.
Despite
their often-poor quality, exorcism movies still serve an important role in
Hollywood. They are one of the few places where the spiritual life, including genuine
good and evil, is taken seriously. Emma is afflicted by a demon because she was
abused and neglected by her family. Yet through Riesinger’s prayers and
resilience, she is eventually delivered by Christ’s power from this evil.
Steiger too discovers a medal of St. Michael belonging to his now deceased
brother and use his intercession to fight the demon, which also has the happy effect
of increasing his own faith. Thus, the film ends with an affirmation of the
efficacy of prayer against the darkness.
It was
intriguing to see a more realistic version of the events of The Exorcist,
but The Ritual doesn’t add anything to the genre and is well beneath its
quality. Alas, Catholic moviegoers are still waiting for the first truly great
exorcist film and may have to endure more mediocrity before it comes. In the
meantime, we can have faith that, unlike many popular adaptations, Christ will
always conquer Satan and even the most remote soul can be delivered.
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