Al Pacino’s 2025 film The Ritual is a striking entry in the long tradition of supernatural horror, one that fuses chilling atmosphere with a story grounded in faith, doubt, and redemption. Directed by David Midell, the film dramatizes the infamous 1928 exorcism of Emma Schmidt, often described as one of the most intense and documented cases of possession in American history. Pacino steps into the role of Father Theophilus Riesinger, a veteran priest whose age and disillusionment weigh heavily upon him, while Dan Stevens portrays Father Joseph Steiger, a younger clergyman confronted with the same terrifying forces but from the vantage point of skepticism. The result is a work that not only delivers moments of genuine horror but also offers a meditation on belief and mortality.
The story begins in a quiet corner of 1920s rural America, where Emma Schmidt, played by Abigail Cowen, becomes the center of a terrifying spiritual battle. Her condition is framed not simply as hysteria or illness, but as a profound crisis of faith and identity, and it is this complexity that draws Riesinger and Steiger into her life. Pacino’s character is introduced as a man past his prime, carrying with him decades of service to the Church but also the burden of unanswered questions. Stevens, by contrast, plays Steiger with the kind of wary rationalism that reflects the modernizing pressures of the 20th century. Together, they create a layered dynamic: one man looking backward with doubt, the other forward with uncertainty, both forced into the crucible of a spiritual trial.
From the very beginning, the film’s visual design establishes a world of solemn beauty and oppressive dread. Costume designer Grizelda Garza captures the essence of the 1920s with her attention to period detail—robes, habits, and vestments that feel authentically worn rather than staged. The settings are steeped in dim light and shadow, with candlelit interiors and stark rural landscapes that highlight the isolation of the priests and their task. Every detail of the production design reminds the audience that this is not a sleek, modern horror tale but one steeped in history, ritual, and the weight of tradition.
What makes The Ritual especially compelling is its commitment to atmosphere over spectacle. Midell resists the urge to overwhelm the screen with sudden shocks or special effects, instead allowing the unease to build slowly. The exorcism sequences are drawn out, reflecting the real historical accounts of weeks of struggle, and the pacing mirrors the endurance required of both priest and victim. Sounds play as much of a role as visuals: guttural whispers, rattling furniture, and unearthly shrieks punctuate the silence, creating an auditory landscape that keeps the audience unsettled.
At the heart of all this is Al Pacino, who proves once again that his presence can elevate any role. At eighty-four, he brings a weight to Father Riesinger that feels earned through a lifetime of roles exploring men under moral and emotional pressure. His Riesinger is not a caricature of piety but a man whose faith has been tested and who enters the ritual with as much fear as determination. In his pauses, his weariness, his strained expressions, Pacino conveys a priest who understands that the battle is as much within himself as with the entity afflicting Emma.
Dan Stevens provides a strong counterbalance, his Father Steiger embodying a younger man who has not yet been weathered by decades of faith but who nonetheless finds himself confronting something beyond reason. Stevens plays him with a quiet intensity, and his chemistry with Pacino gives the film its emotional anchor. Their shared scenes—discussions in dim corridors, tense prayers spoken in unison, moments of doubt exchanged in silence—become as gripping as the moments of supernatural terror.
Abigail Cowen’s performance as Emma Schmidt is equally worthy of note. She embodies the physical torment and psychological anguish of a woman caught between her humanity and something darker. Her shifts between fragility and ferocity give the possession sequences a raw intensity that avoids cliché. Ashley Greene and Patricia Heaton round out the supporting cast, grounding the story further by portraying the family and community whose lives are deeply shaken by the events.
What elevates The Ritual above many of its peers in the exorcism subgenre is the way it weaves themes of doubt, guilt, and endurance into its fabric. The story is not just about banishing evil but about confronting the fragility of faith. Pacino’s Riesinger is haunted by his own spiritual uncertainties, and Stevens’ Steiger embodies the creeping skepticism of a modernizing world. Together, they stand in for larger questions: what is the cost of belief, and what is the role of ritual in a world caught between tradition and reason? The exorcism becomes a metaphor as much as a literal battle, a test of human resilience against forces both seen and unseen.
The film’s finale is particularly striking, not because of spectacle but because of its restraint. Without revealing too much, it leaves viewers with a sense that what they have witnessed is not an ending but a continuation of the age-old struggle between faith and doubt, light and darkness. In this way, The Ritual pays homage to the traditions of folk and religious horror while grounding itself in historical reality.
What also makes the film stand out is where it falls in Pacino’s career. Known for towering performances in crime sagas and dramas, Pacino here takes on a role that is quieter but no less demanding. Rather than relying on explosive bursts of anger or charisma, he portrays a man bowed but not broken, whose greatest weapon is endurance. At this stage in his life, it is a role that resonates: an older actor playing an older man, both confronting the shadows of age and legacy.
2025 is shaping up to be one of Pacino’s busiest years in decades, with projects ranging from biographical drama (Maserati: The Brothers) to Shakespearean tragedy (Lear Rex). Yet The Ritual may be the most surprising among them. It shows that Pacino remains unafraid of tackling unconventional material, even in genres where he has rarely tread. For audiences, it offers the pleasure of seeing one of cinema’s greatest actors lend his talents to a genre often dismissed but capable, in the right hands, of exploring profound questions.
The Ritual is more than a horror film—it is a reflection on belief, history, and the human capacity to endure in the face of the unknown. With its immersive atmosphere, thoughtful themes, and unforgettable performances, it deserves recognition as both a chilling supernatural tale and a late-career highlight for Al Pacino.
The Ritual will be available to own on 9/9
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