Rituals

Five surgeons travel to the remote woods of Northern Ontario to spend a weekend in isolation. They hike to a lakeside campsite, build a campfire, and settle in as their petty bickering begins to surface. By morning they discover their boots have been stolen, setting a uneasy tone for the trip.

D.J. decides to hike toward a hydro-dam marked on his map, hoping there are operators who can assist. The others remain behind, uncertain but hopeful that civilization is not far away. His departure marks the first shift in group dynamics.

That night Mitzi discovers a severed deer head hanging at the campsite, with a snake curled around its spinal cord, evoking the caduceus. The discovery tests their nerves and deepens suspicions about who could be tormenting them. Everyone but Martin wonders if D.J. is responsible.

While pursuing D.J., the group triggers a booby trap that releases a swarm of bees, forcing them to flee in chaos. In the confusion, a shadowy figure appears to push Abel over a steep incline, killing him. The men carry on, shaken and wary of a lurking threat.

The trio reach a river at dusk and share vulnerable details. Martin admits he no longer wishes to pursue surgery and discusses his alcoholism and failed relationship. Harry counters with a wartime anecdote, while Mitzi spies a rope hanging over the river, possibly left by D.J.

They decide to cross the river at dawn using the rope, suspecting it may have been left by D.J. The atmosphere tightens as they prepare for the next leg of the journey and the unknown threat behind them. The river becomes a treacherous ally and adversary alike.

At dawn, Martin steps on a bear trap in the water, breaking his leg. The group improvises a makeshift stretcher and contends with the worsening situation as they press on along the river. Hope fades as the burden grows heavier.

The survivors push forward along the river and attempt to scale a waterfall, triggering a heated clash between Harry and Mitzi. The moment strains their bond, but Mitzi also opens up about their mutual friend Andy, who died by suicide in medical school.

At dawn they notice a World War II medal pinned to Martin, leading Harry to suspect that a veteran is stalking them. The medal deepens the sense that the threat is personal and has a past tied to their profession.

Mitzi discovers Abel's severed head on a stake in the mountainside. He refuses to abandon Martin, while Harry presses on with the weight of the burden. The group's unity fractures as fear takes hold.

They reach an abandoned dam and find D.J. alive but tortured, nailed to a chair. The evidence suggests a past trauma; Harry discovers an overexposed X-ray and discharge papers for a man named Matthew Crowley and makes the mercy killing of D.J. as the group collapses into despair.

Alone after the dam, Harry discovers an abandoned cabin filled with World War II mementos and their stolen boots. An elderly hermit named Jesse warns him to leave, hinting at deeper danger connected to his brother Matthew.

Inside the cabin, Jesse’s warning rings hollow as Matthew arrives and begins stabbing through the walls, severing an artery in Harry's leg. Outside, Mitzi cries for help as Matthew plans to burn him alive. Harry, losing blood, manages to shoot Matthew to death as Mitzi is overtaken by the fire.

After the carnage, Harry crawls out of the burning cabin and collapses onto a country road. He waits for the next passing car, a lone survivor among the cold, unforgiving wilderness.