The Ritual (2025)
Two priests, one in crisis with his faith and the other confronting a turbulent past, must overcome their differences to perform a risky exorcism.
The story follows Father Joseph Steiger, who—grieving the loss of his brother—is tasked with hosting an exorcism at his parish. The ceremony will be led by the seasoned Father Theophilus Riesinger (played by Pacino), brought in to confront the demonic possession of Emma Schmidt. Steiger, however, insists Emma is suffering from mental illness, not demonic forces, and that the exorcism is doing more harm than good. From there, the film slips into a repetitive rhythm: Steiger expresses doubt, Riesinger pushes back, they perform another ritual, and Emma delivers the usual demonic theatrics—shouting obscenities, crawling on walls, pulling at people. It goes on like this with slight variations, until its over.