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Movie review - The Ritual Killer
Solid crime drama for those with a high tolerance, if not affinity, for the gory bits
The Ritual Killer *** (out of 5) (NR) Any time Morgan Freeman is in the cast, the film is at least worth considering. In The Ritual Killer, he’s second banana, but still key to the proceedings. The crime drama opens with a grisly killing and dismemberment in Rome before an immediate switch to the Southern U. S. of A., where similar slayings occur in what looks like some sort of occult ritual style. Cole Hauser stars as the lead detective on the domestic cases, soon turning to a nearby professor of African religions and cultures (Freeman) who might know why the bodies are piling up. Not because he’s the prime suspect. It’s just that aspects of the murder scenes seemingly relate to his slice (inadvertent pun) of academia. Hauser is right, and Freeman starts assisting.
We see the perpetrator (Vernon Davis) before they do. The dude has exceptional skills, just short of mystical, in evading capture while he continues his gruesome mission. Hauser’s investigation ties his local crimes to the Rome murder, helping ID the guy, while making that early scene shift less disjointed that it felt at the time. There is method to this seeming madness. No need for the whodunnit component, as sufficient suspense lingers on the why, and whether they’ll be able to catch this elusive, prolific killer.
Director George Gallo, whose diverse resume spans many genres, spares little of the gory details of Davis’ acts and their results. He also wastes no time, completing the package with admirable efficiency. This film is for the strong of stomach, not the faint of heart. The script from veteran actor and first-time screenwriter Bob Bowersox and a handful of other credited penners is mainly a by-the-numbers procedural, upgraded by a few unusual and intriguing variations along the way. The three leading actors carry the load, with the rest of the cast, including great character actor Peter Stormare, called upon for little more than filling the standard roles such tales require.
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Though not yet MPAA rated as I write this, the gore factor would warrant at least an R, and possibly an NC-17, depending on who’s doing the job. You’ve now been warned about the yucky parts. If that’s not a deal-breaker, then step right up for this solid crime drama. And Morgan.
(The Ritual Killer opens in theaters and On Demand 3/10/23)