The Ritual

Five old friends from university, Phil, Dom, Hutch, Luke, and Rob, meet at a pub to catch up and discuss potential plans for a group trip. Rob proposes hiking in Sweden but quickly faces resistance from the others, who are not interested in the idea.

After leaving the pub, Luke and Rob stop at a shop where they encounter a robbery in progress. Two armed robbers emerge, and while Rob is confronted, Luke hides in fear, ultimately unable to save his friend from being murdered.

Six months after Rob's tragic death, the surviving friends decide to honor his memory by undertaking a hiking trip along Kungsleden in Sarek National Park, Sweden. The journey begins with mixed emotions as they remember their lost friend.

While hiking, Dom loses his footing and injures his knee, which hamstrings the group's progress. Hutch decides to lead them on an alternate route through a forest that promises to cut their travel time in half.

As they venture deeper into the forest, the group stumbles upon bizarre findings, including a gutted elk hanging from the trees and strange symbols carved into the bark. These eerie phenomena suggest something unnatural in the woods.

As a torrential rainstorm hits, the friends seek shelter in an old, abandoned cabin they find in the woods. Inside, they discover necklaces hanging that bear symbols akin to those found in the forest.

The group experiences disturbing nightmares throughout the night. When they wake, Luke discovers peculiar puncture wounds on his chest, raising suspicions about the supernatural forces at play.

The group finds Phil in a compromising position, naked and delirious, praying in front of the sinister effigy found in the cabin. This sight profoundly unsettles everyone as they ponder the significance of the object.

The group attempts to leave the cabin and continue their hike, but they soon find themselves lost. An argument erupts between Luke and Dom, with Dom blaming Luke for Rob's death.

Hutch goes missing, and the remaining friends follow the sound of his screams deeper into the woods. They come across Hutch's body, gruesomely impaled, which sends them into despair.

After seeing Phil attacked and dragged away by an unseen creature, Luke and Dom flee in terror. They find temporary safety in a nearby cabin but are soon caught and beaten by its inhabitants.

The two men awaken in a basement, restrained and frightened. An elderly woman examines Luke's wounds, while an ominous atmosphere fills the space as they are informed that a sacrifice is being prepared.

Dom is taken outside for the ritualistic sacrifice as the villagers worship a terrifying creature from the woods. He has a vision of his deceased wife before he is brutally killed by the Jötunn.

Luke manages to break free and discovers a horrifying congregation of half-alive humans who are remnants of the creature's sacrifices. In a desperate act, he ignites the cabin, causing chaos and drawing the Jötunn.

Amidst the chaos of the burning cabin, Luke seizes the opportunity to escape. Using an ax, he confronts the creature, ultimately emerging from the forest into daylight and finally escaping towards civilization.