The Ritual (2025)

Plot of The Ritual: A young woman, Emma Schmidt, is thought by her family and others to have been possessed by demons due to her strange behaviour which includes spitting and hissing at religious symbols. She is taken to a convent where Father Joseph Steiger is the parish priest and another priest Father Theophilus Riesinger is recruited to carry out the exorcism which takes place over many nights during which, initially, Father Steiger believes that Emma is suffering from a mental condition. Father Riesinger says that his doubts will allow the demons in Emma to act against them, and so it seems. Emma manages to pull a small piece of the scalp of one of the nuns out, and gradually Father Steiger becomes committed to the exorcism. The effect on Emma is dramatic and more and more violent.

Content: No sex or nudity although Emma’s shouting at one point includes the accusation that Father Steiger is having sex with Sister Rose. The film mostly seen from the viewpoint of Father Steiger. He has meetings with the bishop and many discussions with Father Riesinger in addition to the many scenes of the exorcism taking place.

A View: This is a film about real events in 1928 and apparently the jury is still out on whether the young woman was actually suffering from some mental disorder rather than being possessed by a or some demons. And as I write this the possibility of mental disorder seems much more likely, to believe something else would surely change our view of the world we inhabit. But in what seems to be an attempt to follow what actually happened, the whole story lacks the level of drama we are used to, so not really a watch even for nothing.

Fun fact:  I could not help thinking that the nuns were unfeasibly good looking.