The Ritual

The Ritual is a 2017 British horror film that follows four friends who take a hiking trip into a Swedish forest and encounter an ancient evil. The film is directed by David Bruckner and written by Joe Barton, who adapted the 2011 novel The Ritual by Adam Nevill. The film stars Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali, Robert James-Collier, and Sam Troughton. The Ritual had its world premiere at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival on 8 September 2017, and was released in the United Kingdom on 13 October 2017, by eOne. Plot Five friends—Phil, Dom, Hutch, Luke, and Rob—meet at a pub and discuss plans for a group holiday. Rob suggests hiking in Sweden, but gets rebuffed. Afterward, Luke and Rob leave to purchase alcohol, but interrupt a robbery in progress. Luke hides while the thieves harass Rob for his valuables. Luke nearly intervenes, but stops himself before the thieves kill Rob for disobeying them.