By Maria Marroquin
The new Netflix original, “The Ritual” has a great scenery, music and sound effects as well as a good balanced combination of humor and horror.
The movie begins with a group of old college friends planning a trip while at a bar.
The characters find themselves arguing and not being able to agree on one location.
As they are going home the main character, Luke played by Rafe Spall, wants to continue drinking and unknowingly walks into a liquor store while it’s being robbed.
His friend Rob played by Paul Reid, follows him into the store and in a turn of events he dies.
To honor their friends last wish, the group decides to go on a hike in the trails of Sweden, but unforeseen events take them off the trail and into the forest.
David Bruckner, director of the movie, carefully planned each scene to give the audience just enough information to continue watching and although at times it fell into some cliché scary scenes.
The change of direction in the storyline can catch viewers off guard.
Although this movie can be compared to the Blair Witch Project or The Cabin in the Woods , it has a unique turn of events.
The movie intends to show the primal fear of the woods and friendship among men tested in extreme ways.
The raw emotions of the characters provide a sense of fear in viewers and empathy towards them.
Bruckner also portrays men’s need to keep their pride intact and not showing weakness among each other.
Although the movie had quality production, the dialogue could have been better.
There is a couple of scenes where the sarcasm and explicit conversation between the characters may cause the audience to chuckle among all the horror.
Bruckner’s choice of sound effects cause fear in the offscreen scenes.
Without showing what is going on and what kind of evil the characters are facing he adds a wave of suspense to its viewers.
The trees provide an eerie feeling throughout the movie and sometimes it even feels as if the characters are in a jail of forest. Adam Nevill’s story also incorporates a touch of Norse mythology, witchcraft, sacrifices and a creepy house in the middle of the woods.
Undoubtedly it’s a movie with a lot of jump scares, for the most part slow moving in the beginning, exciting as it progresses and a good story line but overall a disappointing ending.
This film is not rated and is available for streaming on Netflix.