It’s practically a rite of passage for horror films—exorcism ones especially—to open with the words “Based on true events.” The Ritual follows suit, claiming to adapt “the most thoroughly documented case of possession in American history”: the exorcism of Emma Schmidt in 1928, later immortalized in the pamphlet Begone, Satan!. Though her story has indirectly influenced iconic films like The Exorcist (1973), The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005), and The Rite (2011), it had only been faithfully adapted once before—in the little-known British film The Exorcism of Anna Ecklund. Now, the influence comes full circle. The Ritual ends up recycling nearly every trope the genre has offered over the past five decades, with only two elements standing out: Al Pacino’s eccentric performance, and a cinematography style that’s… let’s say, “unusual.”
The story follows Father Joseph Steiger, who—grieving the loss of his brother—is tasked with hosting an exorcism at his parish. The ceremony will be led by the seasoned Father Theophilus Riesinger (played by Pacino), brought in to confront the demonic possession of Emma Schmidt. Steiger, however, insists Emma is suffering from mental illness, not demonic forces, and that the exorcism is doing more harm than good. From there, the film slips into a repetitive rhythm: Steiger expresses doubt, Riesinger pushes back, they perform another ritual, and Emma delivers the usual demonic theatrics—shouting obscenities, crawling on walls, pulling at people. It goes on like this with slight variations, until its over.
The film is as generic and uninspired as its title. There’s almost nothing to unpack—except, of course, for Pacino. After delivering some reflective performances in the 2010s (The Irishman, the underappreciated Danny Collins, Manglehorn, and yes, even Jack & Jill in its own bizarre way), Pacino now seems to be in the “why not?” phase of his career. As hinted in his now-iconic Oscar presentation in 2024, he’s clearly reached a point where he’s not overly concerned with the final result. And yet, thanks to his natural screen presence, booming voice, and unpredictable line deliveries, he remains oddly entertaining to watch. His version of Father Riesinger is filled with peculiar gestures, dramatic pauses, and theatrical flair. In a better movie, this might’ve been turned into something meaningful. Here, it’s just another curiosity.
Dan Stevens, meanwhile, looks visibly regretful about being involved. His performance feels drained, stuck in a loop of repeating the same expressions of doubt or disbelief every few minutes. Even Patrick Fabian, who hasn’t found anything of note since Better Call Saul, is stuck playing a vaguely irritating variation of that same character.
Another aspect that immediately calls attention to itself—though not in a flattering way—is the cinematography. The entire film is shot handheld, with frequent and jarring zooms that unintentionally evoke the visual language of shows like The Office and Succession. In those series—and in many comedies—this style is deliberately used to heighten chaos, create immediacy, or emphasize awkwardness. But here, it feels entirely misplaced. Rather than pulling the viewer into the tension or psychological unease of an exorcism, the shaky framing and abrupt zooms clash with the heightened, often theatrical performances—distracting from dramatic scenes and undercutting any sense of suspense or emotional gravity. Worse, the visual approach gives the entire production an amateurish, rough-around-the-edges feel that only pushes the viewer further away from the material.
In the end, The Ritual is a horror film without scares, an exorcism story that traces the genre’s most worn-out path, and a character study (if you can call it that) of some of the most lifeless personalities you’ll see this year. Pacino tries something—and it’s admittedly curious to watch traces of his talent flicker—but it’s buried under a script that knows it has little to offer, and a direction style that manages to undo even the few small things the film could’ve gotten right in the first place.