MovieChat Forums > The Ritual (2018) Discussion > Enjoyed it but one annoying cliche...

Enjoyed it but one annoying cliche...


... that appears in these movies is how quickly this group of close friends turn on each other when things go south. Suddenly, they are yelling at each other, accusing each other of moral failings, working at cross-purposes, etc.

I just watched the Cabin Fever re-make (don't waste your time, BTW, it's lame) and it followed the same template.

The narrative problem with this formula is that, as a viewer, I stop giving a sh!t about the characters since they are all whiny, selfish jerks. In some cases, I start wishing some of them would die faster.

In real life -- and better movies -- I think people are more likely to band together. Not necessarily out of a sense of duty or loyalty though. Quite the opposite... I think people will selfishly realize that the best chance of group survival is to work together as a team.

An example I can think of off the top of my head is Aliens. The Marines bicker and insult each other, but even the weak-willed, cowardly Hudson gets behind the effort to save themselves.

Some people have compared this to The Descent. Been awhile since I saw that one, but, didn't the women all work together to get out in that one?

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I don't know. There is a fairly strong seed of resentment in this due to the surviving guy essentially being the reason for their friend's death to start with. Therefore responsible for them getting in this situation.

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[deleted]

It's not just that he didn't fight back during the robbery, it's that they wouldn't have even been in the shop if it wasn't for Luke. Everyone was ready to head home but Luke persuaded someone to come into the shop with him. So IMO, it's understandable for them to put some blame on Luke regardless of fighting back or not.

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[deleted]

I agree. It is unfair to blame him for that death. He should have given up his stupid ring

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They had bottled up resentment towards Luke for his cowardice during the robbery and contributing to their friend's death... when they started to panic, it came spilling out.

The Descent??? Dude, the women in that film turned on each other about halfway through (one of them was having an affair with another's husband).

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