The Ritual

Year: 2018

Runtime: 94 min

Language: English

Director: David Bruckner

Horror

Seeking a way to reconnect, four college friends embark on a hiking trip deep in the Scandinavian wilderness. Their journey takes a dark turn when they stumble upon a mysterious symbol carved into a tree, leading them off the marked path. As they venture further, an unsettling atmosphere descends, and they realize they are being stalked by a sinister presence that tests their friendship and pushes them to the edge of madness.

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Timeline & Setting – The Ritual (2018)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Ritual (2018). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Last Updated: May 04, 2025 at 18:45

Main Characters – The Ritual (2018)

Meet the key characters of The Ritual (2018), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Last Updated: May 04, 2025 at 18:45

Major Themes – The Ritual (2018)

Explore the central themes of The Ritual (2018), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

Last Updated: May 04, 2025 at 18:45

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Ancient Wilderness Horror Movies Like The Ritual

Characters are hunted by a primordial entity in a vast, untamed landscape.If you liked the feeling of being hunted in the Scandinavian woods in The Ritual, explore more movies where characters face primal horrors in untamed, ancient settings. These survival horror stories often feature cursed landscapes, mythological creatures, and a desperate fight against an incomprehensible force.

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Narrative Summary

Stories typically begin with a group venturing into a remote, wild location, inadvertently disturbing an ancient presence. The narrative is a linear survival struggle, as the characters are picked off one by one, their modern sensibilities useless against a primordial threat. The focus is on physical survival and the psychological breakdown caused by the environment.

Why These Movies?

These movies share a core vibe of being small and vulnerable against an ancient, vast, and hostile natural world. They combine the terror of a monster with the existential dread of a landscape that is actively trying to kill you, creating a potent mix of creature-feature and psychological horror.

Grief-Driven Horror Stories Similar to The Ritual

A protagonist's trauma becomes the lens for a horrific supernatural experience.For viewers who appreciated how The Ritual used survivor's guilt to amplify its horror, this thread collects movies where supernatural terror is deeply intertwined with a character's psychological trauma. If you like horror that explores grief, guilt, and punishment, these films offer a heavy, emotionally resonant experience.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative often follows a guilt-ridden protagonist who is forced to confront their past failure in a life-or-death situation. The horror they face feels like a manifestation of their own guilt, serving as both a physical threat and a form of cosmic punishment. Their journey is as much about surviving the monster as it is about confronting their inner demons.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread are united by their use of horror as a metaphor for processing trauma. The external threat is inextricably linked to the protagonist's psychological state, creating a deeply personal and emotionally heavy horror experience that goes beyond simple scares.

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The Ritual Summary

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The Ritual Timeline

Track the full timeline of The Ritual with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

The Ritual Spoiler-Free Summary

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More About The Ritual

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about The Ritual: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

Similar Movies to The Ritual

Discover movies like The Ritual that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.