“All the Rite Stuff”
By: Marius Masalar
Like many other good films before it, THE RITE is based on a book. But director Mikael Håfström read more than just Matt Baglio’s The Making Of A Modern Exorcist to prepare for the film’s production, attending several exorcisms and working alongside one of the book’s actual characters, Father Gary Thomas, who served as a consultant for the film. Some of this may seem unusual for your average horror flick, and that is where many viewers might find their first surprise with THE RITE: it’s really not a horror film at all.
The story is more about a young man finding his way, and the exorcisms and supernatural subject matter are treated with dignity and restraint, never straying into the needlessly showy. Which is just what one would expect from a film from the same producers as The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Rest assured though: THE RITE may not be a straight-up horror film, but it has chills to deliver.
The film’s sophisticated tone is due in no small part to ALEX HEFFES, a critically lauded UK film composer best known for his work on such award winning films as The Last King of Scotland and Touching the Void. For THE RITE, HEFFES has prepared a score that treats its subject delicately and beautifully, not resorting to excessive scare tactics. The effect is one of glorious poignancy and restraint, and it serves to elevate the film from generic thriller to thought-provoking supernatural drama.
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