Ritual (2013 film)

Ritual is a 2013 American horror film written and directed by Mickey Keating. It stars Lisa Summerscales and Dean Cates as a married couple who must deal with a murderous cult. It was released in the United States on December 31, 2013.

After a man attempts to kidnap her, Lovely kills him. She calls her estranged husband Tom for assistance, and the couple discover evidence that the man was involved in a murderous cult. They flee the scene but soon realize Tom left behind a personalized lighter than can identify him. When they return to recover it, they find the man missing and wonder if the cult has targeted them.

Lionsgate Home Entertainment released it in the United States on December 31, 2013.

Samuel Zimmerman of Fangoria rated it 3/4 stars and wrote, "Being a brisk film, Ritual is one half intimate, indie motel dilemma/one half violent pursuit, punctuated by stark oddities in aesthetic and sound design throughout." Patrick Cooper of Bloody Disgusting rated it 2/5 stars and, though he complimented the score and acting, said the film comes off as "an uninspired attempt at tapping into David Lynch's style". In comparing it negatively to Vacancy, Rohit Rao of DVD Talk rated it 2/5 stars and called it "an odd little thriller that hardly ever thrills".