"A Ritual Killer" weaves the tale of a seasoned detective on the cusp of retirement. He joins forces with an African Studies professor in a race against time to apprehend a serial killer engrossed in the obscure black magic practice of Muti.
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Occasionally, a film so devoid of moral decency and brazenly misguided materializes, provoking us to question the motivations behind its inception. George Gallo's thriller, "The Ritual Killer," is one such movie. Crammed with an assortment of screenwriters. the film shocks and bewilders in equal measure. Its propensity to revel in exploitative, gratuitously violent, poorly thought-out, and racially insensitive content sets new lows for cinematic storytelling.
"The Ritual Killer" comes across as the living embodiment of the infamous "hold my beer" internet meme. In a self-defeating quest to outdo itself, the narrative churns out absurd plot twists. Particularly in the climactic final 15 minutes, marred by egregiously lackluster performances. It veers from merely unethical to an outright offensive viewing experience.
The film's spotlight is on homicide detective Lucas Boyd, portrayed by Cole Hauser. Lucas Boyd is rooted in an embarrassingly over-the-top display of law enforcement machismo. The narrative manipulates the viewer into endorsing Boyd's ostensibly righteous murder of a suspect who is almost certainly guilty. Director George Gallo appears to lend his approval to police brutality within the film's first 10 minutes.
Furthermore, the movie hinges its climactic reveal on the protagonist's untimely slumber. This implies that the screenwriters either capitulated in their efforts to salvage the disastrous narrative or are complicit in its failure. The consequent disinterest in the director's forthcoming projects, despite a slew of scheduled releases, speaks volumes about the film's reception.
As the narrative unfolds, it introduces Randoku (played by Vernon Davis). Randoku is a serial killer who, after terrorizing London, is now wreaking havoc in America. Randoku is an African man well-versed in the ancient practice of black magic known as Muti. He uses this dark art to cater to wealthy patrons convinced that specific body parts from his victims will bless them with mystical abilities.
Gallo's clumsy attempt to explore African black magic through the gaze of an older white man is predictably misguided. It exhibits a glaring lack of genuine engagement with the specificities of the culture, character development, or world-building. The script abandons all pretenses of logic. Randoku, a supposedly shrewd serial killer brazenly exposes his identity by resorting to broad daylight throat slashing, attracting undue attention.
Gallo's seemingly last-ditch effort to salvage the narrative involves bringing on Morgan Freeman as a university professor specializing in African black magic, apparently aiming to absolve the film of its glaring oversights regarding the serial killer's motivations and methods. This attempt falls flat, particularly as Lucas Boyd's repugnant persona as the protagonist magnifies as the narrative progresses. Other than the fact that "The Ritual Killer" manages to project moving images on a screen, there's scarcely any aspect of the film worthy of commendation. Starting off on a deeply offensive note, the film not only maintains this regrettable standard but manages to further deteriorate until it reaches its preposterous and mind-numbing finale.
