The Ritual Killer 2023 Movie Review
Since the early 1960s, serial killer movies have been an increasingly popular form of entertainment, with Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho reaching a new level of acclaim. As each decade passes, new concepts in the genre arise, such as the Nightmare on Elm Street films, which blend horror with thrill by keeping the viewer on the edge of their seat, or the Fear Street franchise, which combines classic 80s nostalgia with modern cinematic craftsmanship. However, Morgan Freeman’s upcoming film The Ritual Killer promises a completely distinct premise.
The Ritual Killer, directed by George Gallo, is an upcoming action movie about a serial killer similar to the one in Babysitter but far more ruthless and mysterious. The main cast and supporting cast were confirmed in August 2021, and the filming took place in Rome, Italy. Fans of slasher films are genuinely enthused about the movie based solely on its intriguing premise and the well-crafted trailer. With that in mind, here’s everything we know about The Ritual Killer, the upcoming action thriller.
Here’s our interpretation of the plot based on the film’s official trailer. A serial killer is on the loose after murdering two young teenagers, but he leaves no trace. Detective Lucas Boyd reaches out to Dr. Mackles, a professor who profoundly understands how humans behave in daily life and can interpret a variety of languages, including tribal phrasings that aren’t well-known. When he arrives on the scene, he discovers some sort of ritualistic inscriptions that reveal the killer’s motivation: to gain power by sacrificing his victims.
They eventually get a lead on the killer after discovering another body with an identical killing pattern and quickly track him down across Europe. It turns out that the killer is continuously moving and carefully selecting his victims. As they draw closer to the killer, they discover some frightening details that make even the most determined police investigators uneasy. When the killer realizes he is being cornered, he begins hunting everyone who is determined to catch him. Who will come out on top when justice faces off against insanity?
“The Ritual Killer follows Detective Boyd (Hauser), who, unable to process the death of his daughter, embarks on the hunt for a serial killer who murders according to a brutal tribal ritual: Muti. The only person who can help Boyd is Professor Mackles (Freeman), an anthropologist who hides an unspeakable secret. The line between sanity and madness thins as Boyd goes deeper into the killer’s world.
The Ritual Killer stars two famous actors, Morgan Freeman, and Cole Hauser, in the roles of Dr. Mackles and Detective Lucas Boyd, respectively. Freeman is an established and Oscar-winning actor most widely recognized as a supporting actor in Million Dollar Baby (2004). However, he’s also known for his performances in over 140 films and TV shows, including Lucius Fox in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy, Beech in Oblivion, Thaddeus Bradley in Now You See Me, and Somerset in Se7en. On the other hand, the latter is well-known for his previous work on Good Will Hunting, Rogue, 2 Fast 2 Furious, and Yellowstone.
Vernon Davis, who appears to be the main antagonist in the film, will play the role of Randoku, the serial killer. While these three actors get the majority of the screen time, the rest of the movie’s cast is as follows: Murielle Hilaire (Death in Paradise) as Detective Kersch, Brian Kurlander (Dopesick) as Shelby Farner, Peter Stormare (Armageddon) as Captain Marchand, Luke Stratte-McClure (Truly Blessed) as Detective Claussen, Mayumi Roller (The Resident) as Deelie Boyd, Talia Asseraf (Out of the Fight) as Terry, Julie Lott (Middle Men) as Doctor Mannheim and Cody Lemmon as Stefano.
The Ritual Killer, originally titled Muti, is directed by George Gallo, who has previously helmed some noteworthy films such as Will Smith’s Bad Boys, Midnight Run, 29th Street, and Middle Men. Bob Bowersox, Francesco Cinquemani (The Ghosts of Monday), Luca Gilberto (The Poison Rose), Jennifer Lemon (Wrong Turn at Tahoe), and Joe Lemmon (Snitch) penned the script. Tom Russbueldt, who founded “Scoring Berlin GmbH” and scored for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Leonardo DiCaprio’s The Revenant, as well as Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, will compose the music for The Ritual Killer.
While Chris Arthur, Monika Bacardi, Andrea Iervolino, Joe Lemmon, Danielle Maloni, Bret Saxon, and Buddy Wyrick produce the film, Nate Adams, Jeff Bowler, Marc Danon, Thomas Fanning, Luca Matrundola, David E. Ornston, Richard Salvatore, Galen Smith, and David Tickle will executive produce it in association with the production companies Black Diamond Films, Iervolino Entertainment, March On Productions, and Wonderfilm Media.
