The Ritual 2018

Five old friends from university—Phil (Arsher Ali), Dom (Sam Troughton), Hutch, Luke (Rafe Spall), and Rob (Rob James-Collier)—gather at a pub to reminisce and discuss their plans for a group trip to reconnect. Amid their chatter, Rob suggests a hiking adventure in Sweden, which is promptly dismissed by the others. As the night progresses and the friends exit the pub, Luke expresses a desire to buy a bottle of vodka and is joined by Rob on his errand. However, their visit turns grim when they encounter a distressed cashier in the shop. Suddenly, two armed robbers emerge, and while Luke instinctively hides behind a shelf, Rob remains frozen in fear. The robbers demand Rob’s wallet, watch, and wedding ring—an item he holds onto stubbornly. Tragically, before Luke can intervene, Rob is violently killed right in front of him.

To honor their late friend, the four remaining friends embark on a hiking trip along Kungsleden, or the King’s Trail, in the Sarek National Park six months later. As they trek, Dom sustains an injury, prompting Hutch to propose a shortcut through a dense forest. Reluctantly, the group agrees, only to stumble upon unsettling sights: a gutted elk hanging from tree branches and eerie symbols carved into the bark.

As night descends, the weather takes a turn for the worse, forcing the group to seek refuge in an abandoned cabin that they find along their path. Inside, they discover necklaces on the walls resembling the mysterious symbols from before, and an enigmatic wooden effigy shaped like a decapitated human torso with antlers for arms. During the night, nightmares plague the men, and when dawn breaks, Luke awakens to find strange puncture wounds on his chest. In a startling encounter, they find Phil in the attic, naked and engaged in bizarre prayer before the effigy.

Determined to leave the cabin, the group presses deeper into the woods. Climbing a ridge for a better view, Luke sees something alarming—a human-like hand clutching a tree. When he shares his discovery, Dom reveals his resentment towards Luke, holding him responsible for Rob’s fatal encounter. The tension escalates into a confrontation.

Later that night, Luke is roused from sleep by frantic screams. When Hutch goes missing, the three friends set off in search of him, only to find they have lost their orientation. Searching without tents or supplies, they discover Hutch gruesomely impaled, recalling the earlier sight of the elk. They give him a makeshift burial before continuing their desperate search.

Eventually, while Luke scouts ahead, he hears eerie noises and races back to find Dom being dragged into the depths of the forest. In a frantic bid to escape, Luke and Dom flee together but soon come upon Phil’s lifeless body, further deepening their horror. They seek cover in a nearby structure only to be captured and restrained in a basement by the inhabitants of the cabin.

In this dark basement, an elderly woman examines Luke’s wounds and reveals her own, echoing a connection to him. Dominated by the menacing cult, they explain plans for a ‘sacrifice’ to appease the creature that haunts the forest. When Dom is taken away, he shares a grim prophecy: that he will be the sacrificial offering and urges Luke to break free and destroy the village.

As night falls, Dom is bound to a post, and the terrifying beast from the forest, linked to the eerie effigy they previously found, is drawn forth. Seizing a fleeting opportunity, Luke manages to escape his restraints and begins his own battle against the malevolent forces at play within the cabin. Armed with a torch, he confronts a grotesque congregation of mummified worshipers, symbolizing the nightmarish end result of their devotion. Following Dom’s final request, Luke ignites the cabin in flames, which subsequently attracts the wrath of the creature.

In the chaos of flames, Luke seizes his chance to escape, armed with an ax and rifle, pursued by the relentless beast. Despite being tormented by visions of his own worst fears, he fights back, engaging in a desperate struggle for survival. Ultimately, he breaks free from the forest’s grasp and emerges into an open field, where he finally shakes off the specter of the creature, heralding a moment of triumph as he heads towards civilization, leaving the horror behind.