One of the Great All-Time Acting ensembles
Charles H. Wagner Sr. | 08/17/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Ritual is an in depth study of a successful but dysfunctional black family. It shows what can happen when favoritism is allowed to fester in a family and the resultant sibling rivalry. Especially when there is either a perceived or actual wide diaparity between the talents of the siblings. The acting is absolutely superb. I recommend it highly. It should be in everyone's video library. No drugs or violence, at least not the garden variety. However, there was a fatal editing error in judgement. Be forewarned; there is a thirty second scene that could have and probably should have been edited out. The movie would have lost nothing, but it would have gained a much wider audience. This movie is hard to find for that reason. The inclusion of the scene has given this movie an unrated rating. It could even be rated X. What a pity. Such wonderful acting. The best that I have seen....ever! for an acting ensemble. I have seen it at least eight times. I can't get enough of it. See it!!!!"
I took a second look...
h.j | 05/28/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I watched this moving while finishing my book and couldn't really catch the meaning behind it. I watch a second time with no distractions and I was very impressed by this movie. I have to say that I wasn't really a fan of the brother and sister doing the nasty, but overall, it was a good movie. I also agree with a previous viewer when they stated that that sibling incest could have been left out and the movie would have still remained a great movie."
The Ritual
Norris Carey | Temple Hills, MD | 07/26/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This a "family-type" movie which has some not so unusual undertones, a daughter who has great desires to replace her mother in the eyes of her father, a mother who understands what is going on but refuses to acknowledge it by drinking herself into a stupor and a father who is strong-willed, determined to mold his son in his image, a son who refuses. The beauty in it is when the whole situation boils over and the mother takes charge."