Review of The Ritual

'The Ritual (2017)' is a technically competent and conceptually confident horror picture that manages to crank up the tension without relying on false or obnoxious jump-scares, instead using its ominous musical score and brilliantly foreboding sound design to create a slow-building sense that there's something sinister lurking amongst the trees. It's in the script where the piece really shines; it's an example of a group dynamic done right, and you honestly do get a sense that these four men are mates who have known each other for a long time. You also get a sense that they're all different people who react differently to their bizarre and frightening situation. When the film moves into its third act, it starts to lose its way a little. The closer it comes to its eponymous ritual, the less tense and unique it gets. Still, the finale does introduce a visually interesting and well-developed creature whose only real fault is the fact that it's shown slightly too much during its climactic debut. This is a shame, since prior to then it's handled with a deft restraint that allows the flick's infrequent yet visceral splashes of gore to truly have an impact. The thing also has bit of a rushed and wet ending. 6/10.