Yes, The Ritual Is Yet Another Exorcism Movie—but This One Stars Dan Stevens and Al Pacino

Hollywood loves a possession story—going back to The Exorcist, of course, the grandaddy of them all and still the gold standard among all demon-infested cinematic tales. In the 50-plus years since Captain Howdy’s arrival, there have been many imitators of varying degrees of quality. At first glance, The Ritual looks pretty standard (it’s based on true events and features the old priest/young priest combo, with a side of “dark past” and “faith crisis” to boot), but then you see who’s starring in it: Dan Stevens and Al Pacino.

The first teaser is here and it features Pacino doing a gruff accent while taking about being part of “the Lord’s army,” and Stevens big-eyed and freaked out while also somehow making a priest collar look kind of dapper. Less inspiring are the expected shots of a woman contorting herself while in the grip of evil, and those exaggerated bone-popping sound effects that always seem to accompany someone who’s in demonic mode.

According to a press release, The Ritual is based on “the most thoroughly documented and widely publicized exorcism in American history,” occurring in a small Iowa town in 1928. The afflicted was 46-year-old Emma Schmidt, who’d been troubled for years; whether or not that was due to medical science not understanding mental health issues at the time, or if something genuinely sinister was afoot, we may never know—but the Catholic Church really did sanction the ceremony, and it grabbed sensational newspaper headlines at the time

In addition to Stevens and Pacino, the cast includes Ashley Greene, Abigail Cowen, Maria Camila Giraldo, Meadow Williams, Patrick Fabian, and Patricia Heaton. The Ritual is directed and co-written by David Midell, and you can learn more about the historical story behind the film at its official website.

The Ritual hits theaters June 6.

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