There’s something about a dark forest that awakens ancient fears — and The Ritual (2017) knows exactly how to use that. Directed by David Bruckner and based on Adam Nevill’s novel, this British horror gem drops four friends into the Scandinavian wilderness, where grief, guilt, and something far older than folklore begin to close in.
Filmed in the haunting landscapes of Romania (standing in for Sweden’s misty forests), The Ritual blends psychological unease with a looming mythological presence. As the group veers off the hiking trail, what begins as a memorial trip turns into a terrifying encounter with Norse legend — and not everyone makes it out alive. Without spoiling too much, let’s just say the woods have their own rules, and their own monster.
It’s that monster — inspired by Nordic mythology and known as the Jötunn — that gives the film its lasting bite. Unseen for much of the runtime, it’s one of horror’s most unsettling recent creations, a god-like forest dweller that rewards devotion and punishes defiance. For viewers drawn to eerie atmospheres and cryptic pagan symbols, this is very much your kind of nightmare
Tense, tightly made, and mercifully short, The Ritual avoids cheap scares in favour of mounting dread. It’s the kind of horror film that creeps under your skin — and makes you think twice before your next woodland walk.
