After Dark’s Ritual sets a release date

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Heading to both DVD and digital platforms on December 31st is Mickey Keating's first feature debut, RITUAL, which tells the horrific tale that craftily brings you into the world of sadistic satanic rituals. I have a love hate relationship with After Dark because they have released some gems in the past, but ultimately you just never know what you're going to get from them. I'll certainly take the plunge with this one though because "sadistic satanic rituals" makes it sound like things could get pretty messy, and I like that Keating is giving a nod to some old school flicks as he says, "Ritual is a love letter to pulpy 1970s horror films like Race With the Devil, Punishment Park, and Hardcore."

A long time ago Tom loved Lovely. They were married and everything was perfect, at least for a little while. But that was then and this is now. Lovely has just killed a man in cold blood after he tried to drug and kidnap her in a motel. She calls Tom to help but now they've found a VHS tape that depicts a satanic ritual in which a woman is murdered. Lovely desperately wants to leave and they do, but Tom forgot his engraved lighter in the room, and when they go back to find it, the dead body appears missing.

RITUAL stars Lisa Marie Summerscales, Dean Cates, and Derek Phillips.