Rituals

Harry is a stoic, battle-tested neurologist who takes on a leadership role as tensions rise. He remains pragmatic and composed, often serving as the voice of reason amid bickering. His past war experience and his moments of mercy—deciding who lives or dies—reveal a complex moral code he must navigate under extreme stress. By the end, he endures loss and contemplates a solitary path forward.

Mitzi is a general surgeon who is capable but abrasive, quick to challenge others. He distrusts D.J. and is haunted by Andy’s suicide, which colors his empathy and tempers his judgments. He remains stubbornly loyal to Martin and to the ideal of medical excellence, even as the group's dynamics erode. His temper and contentious stance push the group toward escalating conflict.

Martin is a former surgeon turned general practitioner, carrying a quiet disillusionment with surgery. He is introspective and open about his alcoholism and a failed relationship, admitting he might never want to practise surgery again. His vulnerability and hidden pain influence how he responds to the group’s crisis. He endures physically and emotionally as the journey grinds on.

Abel is a quieter, steady presence within the group, often following the others as the pace intensifies. He remains capable but is overwhelmed by the mounting danger and the crew’s fraying morale. His role underscores the fragility of the outing and foreshadows the peril that follows.

D.J. is Martin’s brother and a practical, stubborn member who volunteers to seek help at the dam. He is captured and subjected to torture, becoming the moral focal point of mercy in the climactic rescue. His fate—killed by a mercy killing—highlights the grim choices forced by isolation and danger.

Jesse is an elderly, blind hermit who lives nearby and serves as a haunting warning to the group. His memory of his own war-torn brother Matthew underscores the danger that lurks in the mountains. He provides a crucial, eerie link to the film’s darker truths.

The Pilot is the one who drops the group off in the wilderness, a practical facilitator of the trip. His role underscores the isolation of the setting and the ease with which help is remote. Beyond that initial act, he remains a distant, almost ghostly presence in the narrative.

Matthew is a disfigured war veteran whose presence as a violent, hidden threat shapes the film’s final acts. He materializes as a relentless aggressor, inflicting harm and intensifying the sense of danger. Ultimately, he is confronted and killed, leaving the survivor to confront the aftermath of violence.