User Reviews

This movie is horrible. Granted, I only got about two minutes into it, but it was the longest two minutes of my life. It felt like twenty. The heavy-set man that Wayne Montgomery was talking to at the beginning reminded me of my son-in-law, which was a good thing for him. It made him likable for me. However, the milquetoast sounding 'serial killer' just rubbed me the wrong way. The effort to make him sound like 'every man' was a pathetic attempt to gain some sympathy for the 'antihero', and it failed abysmally. Then they throw in some young, smug looking punk as the new 'protege', and it all slides downhill from there. For a 'found footage film', it had no interesting shots, no real flow, and no realism. The black and white filming was intended to make the film, and therefore the subject matter, seem bleak and ugly, and they succeeded, at least with the ugly part. Not worth the time or effort, in spite of the fact that I got it for free through Prime.

The Ritual is a sequel to the 'found footage' horror film Head Case. It isn't what I was expecting. I wouldn't even consider it to be a horror film. It's more of a serial killer drama. The story, about a fugitive serial killer and his teenage accomplice, is engrossing. It's beautifully shot and well-acted. Paul McCloskey returns as serial killer Wayne Montgomery, whose even-keeled demeanor and matter-of-fact delivery make him a very endearing character. Joey Garrison plays his teenage accomplice Jared with a frightening (and all-too-realistic) blend of angst and glee. The chemistry between the leads is one of the strongest parts of the film. The Ritual (much like Head Case) isn't for all tastes. It's a character-driven film with improvised dialogue and a low body count. But it's very entertaining and stuck with me long after it was over.

...and in this case, it was a deadly one.

This film takes you a step further into the life of Wayne Montgomery. With his wife behind bars, he needed someone else to help him with his dirty work. It seemed as though he had scoped Jared out. He pulls him into his world of killings and teaches him the ways of murder. One of the most controversial parts of the film is when Wayne takes his mother's life. Wayne killed his mother because he was jealous of the relationship that she and Jared were forming. He saw it was creating a weakness in his relationship with Jared. Wayne was very clear with Jared in telling him not to kill someone you know, and to not make it personal. Ultimately, Wayne's death was a result of his negligence and going against his own set of rules. It is interesting that someone who flew so far under the radar and who had committed so many unsolved crimes would be murdered by his own "student." Although he is no longer a menace to society, Jared lives on and so does those who follow in his footsteps. I thoroughly enjoyed the film and I like how it sets you up for the 3rd Head Case film "Post-Mortem." Bravo, Anthony! Bravo!