Is ‘The Ritual’ Really Just a Rip-Off of ‘The Exorcist’? Here’s What You Need to Know!

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Joining the wave of horror productions, actor Al Pacino takes on the role of a senior priest in the latest movie titled “The Ritual”, helmed by director David Midell. In this chilling tale set in small-town America, he collaborates with his unstable fellow clergy companion to rescue a woman from the grip of Satan’s minions. The movie, “The Ritual”, recounts an excruciating 23-day exorcism that ultimately garnered widespread media coverage. While the authenticity of this possession is contested, it stands as a significant supernatural episode in American history, warranting the interest of filmmakers.

Initially, it might seem that the plot of this movie is just a copycat of “The Exorcist” from 1973 or the 1971 bestselling book. However, “The Ritual” actually draws its inspiration from a 1935 book about an entirely different exorcism event that occurred in 1949 – one that was distinctly separate from the events depicted in “The Exorcist”. Instead of being a cheap imitation, “The Ritual” seeks to preserve historical records. Conversely, “The Exorcist” was all about providing entertainment. So, it’s not clear who is following whose lead.

Good Luck Trying To Locate ‘The Ritual’ in the Netflix Library in Six Months

In this rephrased version:

Al Pacino takes on the role of an exorcist, joining a cast that includes Dan Stevens, Abigail Cowen, and Ashley Greene. Immersing himself in the character, Pacino portrays Theophilus Riesinger, a Bavarian-accented Capuchin priest, who is tasked with expelling a Luciferian possession, similar to Father Merrin in The Exorcist.

This story follows a legend in a small Iowa town, as detailed in the Catholic Church-approved book “Begone, Satan!” published in 1935. This is not necessarily a timely event.

In need of a catchier title than its cheesy ’90s Linda Blair spoof-like moniker suggests, the movie struggles to stand out among the multitude of horror films. It’s not related to any film sharing the same name from 1996, 2002, 2009, 2014, 2017, 2021, or 2024. The overused trope of a possessed girl, present in both dramas and parodies, is so clichéd it’s difficult to make either format work well. With Al Pacino as the lead, the film faces high expectations, but has received mostly negative reviews before its release, earning a 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Whether it will be successful in theaters remains to be seen, as its unremarkable title may cause it to get lost among the vast amount of content on streaming sites.

A Film 97 Years in the Making

As a captivated viewer, I find that Midell sets itself apart from the sea of demon-themed movies by emphasizing its “true story” basis. This aspect, rich with intrigue, is backed up by a Time magazine article about the 1928 Earling, Iowa possession. The story revolves around Reverend Riesinger’s spiritual battle with a woman named Emma Schmidt, often referred to as Anna Ecklund in the media to protect her identity. She was known for speaking in tongues and invoking the family’s traumas, adding an air of mystery and suspense.

Given that she wasn’t diagnosed with any mental or physical illness, the family was left with no other choice but to summon a renowned European exorcist. Reports describe her as defying all attempts at restraint, levitating off the bed and being lifted by unseen forces over the room’s door. She clung to the wall with an uncanny cat-like grip. As she was subjected to holy water, her body contorted in pain, and each drop of holy water caused her skin to hiss in agony. If this story sounds familiar…

As it turned out, the woman wasn’t suffering from any known mental or physical ailments, prompting the family to seek help from a distinguished European demonologist. Witnesses recount her extraordinary behavior, such as levitating off her bed and being propelled through the air to land near the room’s ceiling, where she clung to the wall with a surprising feline agility. When subjected to holy water, her body twisted in torment, and every drop seemed to elicit a painful hissing noise from her skin. It seems like this tale has been told before.

Historical Accuracy or Artistic Loophole?

In contrast to the events depicted in “The Exorcist,” “The Ritual” deviates from it somewhat. For instance, the original story’s victim was a teenage boy, but this changed to a young girl in the novel and film adaptation of “The Exorcist.” This variation might have offered intriguing source material for the “Exorcist” franchise, as William Peter Blatty, the author of “The Exorcist,” had an extensive knowledge of demonology and was familiar with the 1949 exorcism in Earling, Iowa. This connection is highlighted by Midell in a promotional video for the film.

What’s intriguing is that on the opening page of Begone, Satan!, it reveals that the author William Peter Blatty based his novel The Exorcist, as well as a few other historical occurrences, on real events. This book eventually transformed into the legendary 1973 film.

Instead of reimagining an old tale for contemporary viewers, “The Ritual” delves into the authentic historical and societal aspects of its origin: the exorcism of a middle-aged woman from Depression-era Iowa who is possessed by the spirit of Judas Iscariot, her deceased father, and his mistress, who was believed to have killed four children. This narrative touches on more profound themes such as Catholic faith, morality, and complex family relationships than the film version of “The Exorcist” ever explored. However, the question remains: will it capture people’s interest?

What sets this tale apart as particularly chilling is that Schmidt was subjected to torment lasting over two decades before the supposed exorcism brought an end to it. Unlike in ‘The Exorcist’, where Regan endured for just a few months, if you exclude the sequel where both Regan and viewers suffered unnecessarily for years on end. ‘The Ritual hits North American theaters on June 6‘.

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2025-06-07 22:32