III

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Audience Member This is one hollow exercise in pretention and incoherence. Images alone, even the abstract, can well replace, supplement and support a narrative; here, the breaks in continuity abound and deprive III of even this structure. Mr. Khvaleev, born in Russia, has set his film somewhere in Soviet satellite Mitteleuropa. This makes you wonder why the inscriptions on the stained glass windows of the church are in English. The town's cemetery, where the girls' mother is buried, seems to be hundreds of miles away from the town, judging by the landscape. The ease with which Father Herman agrees to what amounts to an act of paganism would certainly raise eyebrows in the Vatican, if not lead to his swift excommunication. This could all be excused if the narrative were gripping, even mildly. As it is, the film is strictly a bore. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member This edgy Russian film is a morose horror story with ominous overtones. A caring sister finds a handwritten journal with a secret method of travelling into another's subconscious. She uses it to travel into her ailing sister's subconscious to give her strength and combat the sickness while encountering dark undertones and complicated emotions pertaining to past traumas. The complicated emotions are presented abstractly, but their meaning is clear enough. The decaying disease represented in the subconscious, while shown sparingly, is distinct and impactful. And there's a priest helping cure the sick and saving suicide victims from burning in Hell. The cinematography uses heavy blacks, which reflects the disease outbreak draining the Russian town of life and liveliness. The imagery and color contrasts, both in the material world and the subconscious, are sturdy and stark. The dialogue is sparse, and the pacing is contemplative. Overall this feels like a Russian horror story, and is worth watching if microbudgets and subtitles aren't an issue. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review don s A Russian horror movie involving two sisters, left alone by the death of their mother who succumbed to a mysterious illness that has invaded their town. Ayia (deftly portrayed by Polina Davydova) wants to leave town immediately, however Mirra is stricken by the disease. Ayia enlists the aid of a local priest to battle the supernatural cause of the sickness. No real effects to speak of, yet still creepy. A bit too abstract I think, but effective enough. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member III: The Ritual: This is a moody, broody Russian horror film about a couple of sisters who enlist the help of a priest and centuries old rituals when they discover that a sickness killing the people of their village is actually the work of demons preying on their subconscious minds. It's a trippy concept and the story's more cerebral slow burn versus more traditional horror cliches is thought provoking. But it's just a bit slow for most tastes. C+ On Netflix In Russian with subtitles. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member An interesting psychological and theological movie. Heavy on the subtlety and metaphors. If you were looking for something to mesmerize you, this may be it. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member The atmosphere of this film is dark and scary. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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