One hopes to believe that most exorcism stories lie in the realm of fiction. “The Ritual,” an upcoming horror feature co-starring Al Pacino and Dan Stevens, recounts actual events that transpired in Earling, Iowa, between August 18 and December 23, 1928. While it’s a common ploy by marketing teams to attach ‘Based on a true story’ to most any horror movie that vaguely resembles something that actually happened, just to put people in seats, “The Ritual” is not shying away from what it directly draws inspiration and information from.
The interesting pairing of Pacino and Stevens, and the appeal of up-and-coming writer/director David Midell (“The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain”) make the film something most definitely worth checking out for horror fans.
The thriller stars Al Pacino, Dan Stevens, Ashley Greene, Patricia Heaton, Abigail Cowen, Ritchie Montgomery, Maria Camila Giraldo, Emily Brinks, Enrico Natale, Liann Pattison, and Courtney Rae Allen. David Midell is the writer and director, and Natale is the co-writer and producer. Executive producers are Lee Broda, Jordan Wagner, Jeff Rice, and Chris Paladino. Additional producers are Ross Kagan Marks, Alessandro Penazzi, and Andrew Stevens.
The drama follows two priests: Father Theophilus Riesinger, who struggles with his faith, and Father Joseph Steiger, who’s dealing with a troubled past, as they work together to perform a series of exorcisms on Emma Schmidt.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Based on a true story, ‘The Ritual’ follows two priests—one questioning his faith (Stevens) and one reckoning with a troubled past (Pacino)—who must put aside their differences to save a possessed young woman through a difficult and dangerous series of exorcisms. The film is an authentic portrayal of Emma Schmidt, an American woman whose demonic possession culminated in harrowing exorcisms. Her case remains the most thoroughly documented exorcism in American history.
XYZ Films will release “The Ritual” in select theaters on June 6.
