10 Horror Movies That Were Way Weirder Than Advertised
4. The Ritual
At a glance, The Ritual appeared to be a fairly generic folk-horror offering. An adaptation of Adam Nevill's novel of the same name, David Bruckner's 2017 effort follows a group of friends who encounter sinister paranormal forces while hiking through the Swedish wilderness.
However, The Ritual shows that it is far more than the average monster flick in the early goings, with an array of macabre set pieces cultivating an atmosphere that is as peculiar as it is terrifying. With that being said, the movie doesn't reveal just how weird it truly is until the climactic sequences.
Luke and Dom - the only two surviving members of the group - are captured by the townsfolk who worship the creature pursuing them. A Jötunn from Norse mythology, the creature is as bizarre as it is horrifying - a nightmarish array of twisted limbs and horns the size of an elephant. It speaks volumes to how surreal The Ritual's ending is that this isn't even the strangest sequence from the finale.
The Jötunn confers everlasting life upon its worshippers, but in the most nightmarish form of immortality imaginable. Luke discovers a room filled with mummified remains that are revealed to be still alive - this form of "eternal life" is as terrifying as the creature that bestows it.
This was supposed to be an ordinary monster film.