In a cinematic clash of divine intervention and existential banter, Al Pacino and Dan Stevens take us on a holy rollercoaster in the trailer for The Ritual. Directed by David Midell, this film promises an epic battle of faith and the occasional side-eye skepticism.
Faith vs. Fret
In this otherworldly romp, Pacino and Stevens don clerical garb to portray Father Theophilus Riesinger and Father Joseph Steiger. Their mission? To help a young woman ensnared by pesky demons—a plight we all face one Tuesday morning. With Pacino declaring, “We are the Lord’s army in this battle,” one might mistake this for an unplanned sequel to any of his previous intense roles. Stevens, ever the voice of modern practicality, counters with, “What if what she really needs is a doctor?”—a question sure to ignite theological discourse or at least an awkward church picnic.
Inspired Chaos
Drawing inspiration from the 1935 book Begone Satan!, the film stands atop nearly a century of controversy. Co-written by Midell and Enrico Natale, it features a cast rounded out by Ashley Greene, Patricia Heaton, Abigail Cowen, and Ritchie Montgomery—though none of them reports demonic possession onset, as far as we know. Meanwhile, producers Natale, Ross Kagan Marks, Andrew Stevens, and Mitchell Welch wrangle this project into cinematic existence.
Saints of the Silver Screen
Pacino, ever the cinematic chameleon, brings his flair from recent hits like Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness, and House of Gucci. Not to be overshadowed, Stevens has been making significant waves, previously seen reining chaos with Godzilla and Kong.
And with that, ponder this: If the universe is expanding, what is it expanding into?
