The Ritualgets its first trailer, revealing Al Pacino’s return to religious horror. Directed by David Midell, the upcoming horror flick tells the story of two priests who must put aside their differences to perform a dangerous exorcism. Pacino plays the role of Father Theophilus Riesinger, a priest with a turbulent past, while Dan Stevens plays Father Joseph Steiger, a priest having a crisis of faith.The Ritual, which also stars Ashley Greene and Abigail Cowen, comes 27 years after Pacino played the Devil inThe Devil’s Advocate.
As the movie’s June 6 release date approaches,XYZ Filmsreleases a teaser trailer forThe Ritual, providing a first look at Pacino in character as Father Riesinger. The trailer features text revealing that it is based on a true story dubbed"The most terrifying exorcism in American history,“as Pacino warns through voice-over that the Devil will do everything in his power to prevent the exorcism from being successful. Check out the trailer below:
What The New Trailer Means For The Ritual
It Has Similarities To Another Recent Exorcism Movie
The trailer teases thatThe Ritualwill feature some surprisingly graphic moments, particularly involving the possessed Emma as she contorts her body in various ways. It also suggests thatthe movie will follow in the footsteps of other exorcism-based horror moviesin terms of the types of scares audiences can expect. The trailer also suggests thatThe Ritualwon’t be too dissimilar toThe Pope’s Exorcist(2023) starring Russell Crowe.
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The Pope’s Exorcistreviewswere mixed from critics, but the film was a success with audiences, grossing $76.9 million worldwide. This film, which hails from director Julius Avery, was made on a modest estimated budget of $18 million, and the trailer forThe Ritualsuggests Pacino’s film may have been made for a similar amount, or perhaps less. As was the case with Crowe andThe Pope’s Exorcist,Pacino is the primary draw withThe Ritual, especially since the possession story itself doesn’t look to be breaking any new ground.
Following the first movie’s success,Crowe is confirmed to return inThe Pope’s Exorcist2.
Our Take On The Ritual Trailer
How The Horror Film Can Set Itself Apart
If there’s one complaint that can be levied at exorcism horror movies, is that the subgenre can sometimes feel repetitive and formulaic. There have been so many exorcism movies at this point, after all. The star power involved can certainly set some movies apart, as can the depth of the characters. The actual possession inThe Ritualdoesn’t look like it breaks the mold from what’s been revealed so far, butthe characters played by Pacino, Stevens, and Greene could help the film stand out.
Pacino is a proven talent and is, even at 84 years old, a reliably entertaining screen presence. It’s Stevens, however, who could end up being a major highlight after he became a fan-favorite element of thecast ofGodzilla x Kong: The New Empirelast year. It remains to be seen howThe Ritualwill fare when compared with other possession horror movies, but it, at the very least, features an impressive cast.
