The Ritual

Deep within the Swedish wilderness lies a vast network of dense and ominous forests, rumored to be the haunt of ancient and malevolent beings. For a group of college friends, this unforgiving terrain holds a more personal significance - it's a once-lifetime opportunity to reconnect with one another, away from the distractions of modern life. Dave, a charismatic but aimless individual struggling to come to terms with the loss of his brother, has organized this reunion trip. He invites his closest friends, Hutch, Luke, and Phil, to join him on this perilous journey into the heart of darkness. Together, they set out to hike across the vast expanse of the forest, charting a path through the desolate and unforgiving landscape. As they venture deeper into the woods, an undercurrent of unease begins to permeate the group's collective psyche. At first, they dismiss the eerie atmosphere as mere superstition, but the presence of an unseen force is undeniable. Equipment goes missing, eerie noises echo through the silence, and the group catches glimpses of their own paranoia playing out in the shadows. The tension is exacerbated by Phil, a naive and newly-converted thrill-seeker who insists on pushing the boundaries of the group's safety. His reckless abandon leads Hutch, a responsible and level-headed veteran of the outdoors, to grow increasingly exasperated with Phil's reckless behavior. Meanwhile, Dave's troubled past continues to haunt him. His crippling grief over the loss of his brother becomes apparent as they navigate the increasingly treacherous terrain. The emotional toll of their separation, combined with the ever-present threat in the woods, threatens to derail the group's unity. Luke, a medic turned medical student, sees an opportunity to push the limits of his knowledge by observing and documenting the bizarre occurrences. His detached observation cuts him off from the rest of the group, earning him a wary distrust in the minds of his fellow travelers. With each passing day, Luke's unyielding skepticism makes him an outlier among his peers. Phil's hubris ultimately proves devastating when the group stumbles upon a ritualistic symbol carved into the bark of an ancient tree. Obsessed by the potential significance of the symbol, Phil fails to heed Hutch's warnings of danger lurking nearby. As night begins to fall, the group unwittingly stirs up a malevolent force – one that has lain dormant for centuries, awaiting the chance to exact its vengeance upon the living. Gone is the carefree camaraderie that initially drove the friends to seek out this wilderness adventure. Now, as a threatening presence emerges from the shadows, their bond fractures under the unrelenting pressure of survival. Faced with primal terror, they are forced to confront not only their worst fears but also the darkest corners of their own psyches. A grim realisation dawns on the group that they are not simply witnessing the ravages of nature; something far more ancient, far more malignant is watching them. They must put aside their petty squabbles to confront a foe that has no qualms about dismantling their fragile bond, exploiting each weakness, and then slowly eliminating each member, rendering their existence entirely insignificantly. Eager to escape the desecration and horror that they were brought near.