The Ritual (2017)

In a pub, five friends, Phil, Dom, Hutch, Luke and Rob, discuss holiday plans. Rob suggests hiking in Sweden. When Luke and Rob go into a shop, they walk into a robbery. Luke hides while the robbers kill Rob.

Six months later, the four remaining friends hike the Kungsleden trail in northern Sweden in Rob's memory. When Dom injures his knee, Hutch suggests a shortcut through the forest. Inside, they find a gutted elk hanging in a tree and strange runes carved in the bark. A storm forces them into an abandoned cabin, where they find a strange effigy made of twigs, with antlers for hands.

That night, they all have terrible nightmares. In the morning, Luke has puncture wounds on his chest, Hutch has wet himself in terror, and Phil is found naked, kneeling in prayer before the effigy. As they continue, Luke glimpses a huge figure in the trees. Hutch disappears in the night, and they find him gutted and impaled in the branches. Then Phil is dragged away and killed.

Luke and Dom find a small settlement and are captured. Dom is sacrificed to the creature, which impales him on a tree. A young woman tells Luke that the creature is Moder, an ancient god-like being, a child of Loki, who grants the villagers long life in exchange for sacrifices. Luke must worship it or die.

Luke escapes, sets fire to the cabin and its mummified worshippers, and kills a cult member. Moder chases him, filling his mind with visions of Rob's death and forcing him to kneel. Luke refuses to submit, strikes it with an axe and runs towards the sunlight. He reaches an open field. Moder cannot leave the forest. It roars at Luke, Luke screams back, and Moder retreats into the trees.

What is the creature in The Ritual? Moder, a jötunn, an ancient giant from Norse mythology, said to be a child of Loki. It looks like a huge elk-like creature with a human-like face and long legs.

What does the cult want? Moder grants its worshippers unnaturally long lives in exchange for sacrifices. Outsiders who enter the forest must either worship it or die.

Why does Luke survive? He refuses to kneel. After months of shame for hiding when Rob was killed, he finally stands his ground and fights back.

Why does Moder not follow Luke? The creature is bound to the forest and cannot leave it. Once Luke reaches the open field, he is safe.

What does the ending mean? Luke's scream at Moder is a release of all his guilt. He has finally faced his fear.