Heard the story of a young, skeptical priest and an old, trusty exorcist dealing with a 'possessed' girl? Well strap in, folks, because you're about to hear it one more time. This time though, it's under the guise of "The Ritual," the latest entrant to the exorcism genre trying and failing to match the monumental mastery of William Friedkin’s 1973 classic, "The Exorcist".

Hoping to enchant audiences under the pretext of authenticity, the creators of "The Ritual" set their tale apart claiming it's based on true events. “This tale narrates the most thoroughly documented case of demonic possession in American history,” they proudly declare. And, in the pursuit of enhancing credibility, the movie ends with a repeat of this proclamation paired with photos of the real-life priests involved in the 1928 exorcism of Emma Schmidt - leaving us all feeling a rather strong whiff of the lady doth protest too much.

Set in 1928 Iowa, "The Ritual" introduces us to Emma (Abigail Cowen in a gutsy performance), our 'possessed' in question. Young Father Joseph Steiger (courtesy of our beloved, Dan Stevens) isn’t convinced she's under the influence of demonic forces. Enter the seasoned Father Theophilus Riesinger (brought to life impeccably by Al Pacino), equipped with a name proving just how great serendipity can be. He reaffirms the demonic presence for the local bishop (Patrick Fabian), a man evidently incapable of learning from past misjudgements, sparking the commencement of an exorcism under the stern watch of the Mother Superior, played by sitcom legend Patricia Heaton - because, why not?

The ensuing sequence of exorcism attempts, despite being very 'real-life', feel nothing more than a showcase of the budget-friendly special effects including levitation, regurgitation and some unscripted scalping. Director Midell's use of hand-held shots, shaky cameras and the 'perpetually dim-lit' aesthetic also add to this lackluster display. Pacino, on the other hand, proves to be a saving grace. The veteran actor ditches his often over-the-top theatricality and fully embraces his role, making us question why he chose this movie not to chew the scenery.

"The Ritual", therefore, offers a lesson in exorcism film-making. Even if the cast is admirably committed and the 'based-on-true-events' stamp included, you can't bewitch the audience into loving a story they've seen and lived through too many times before.