I Will Die On This Hill That Folk Horror Has Some Of The Most Intensely Rich Stories And Symbolism That Deserves To Be Seen And Experienced - Tumblr Posts

Just because I love this movie and I need more people to sit with folk horror, it's such a rich sub-genre.

October 14th: Folk Horror | The Ritual

The Ritual was released in 2017 and was directed by David Bruckner. Friends Luke (Rafe Spall), Dom (Sam Troughton), Hutch (Robert James-Collier), and Phil (Arsher Ali) reunite six months after the death of their mutual friend to go on a memorial hike in Sweden. During the hike Dom sprains his ankle, and the group decide to cut through the woods in order to make it back to the lodge in less time. But when they get lost, things take a dark turn as a menacing presence begins to stalk them through the vast trees.

Folk horror is a sub-genre that, despite existing since the 70s with such films as The Wicker Man, has gained far more traction in recent years. Movies like The VVitch and Midsommar are possibly among the most popular of modern folk-horror, but even then you would be hard-pressed to find those who have seen other lesser known folk horror films like No One Makes It Out Alive and the particular film I chose to represent this genre, The Ritual. I believe the reasoning behind this is because many folk horror films delve deep into symbolism, using many stories from various cultures as a representation of a certain subject. But because folk horror requires the viewer to not only take the time to interpret the symbolism but also relate it back to the story represented on screen, viewers simply looking for a scary movie might find these kinds of films boring and a waste of time. Although folk horror definitely isn't for everyone, it's a special sub-genre that allows for its viewers to partake in extensive interpretation and discussion if they so wish, and it often leads to many re-watches for the sake of discovery.

I could not find any platforms where you can watch it for free. Content Warnings for the Film (may contain spoilers): violence, jumpscares, dead animals (only aftermath shown), gore (not incredibly bad), psychological torture, mummified corpses