Ritual of Death (1990) | Merits of Sin | Region-Free (DVD)

Title: Ritual of Death (1990)

Genre: Horror

Plot Synopsis:

A drama group rehearsing an ancient ritual performance inadvertently awakens a dormant evil spirit. As mysterious deaths mount and bizarre hallucinations plague the cast, it becomes clear the line between fiction and reality has been crossed—and something monstrous is watching.

Cast and Crew:

• Director: Fauzi Mansur

• Writers: Filipe Grecco, Anthony Roark

• Cast:

  • Olair Coan as Brad

  • Karina Palatnik as Carol

  • Tião Hoover as Mickey

  • Serafim Gonzalez as Old Librarian

  • Michael Kelly as Jim

IMDb Link: Ritual of Death (1990) 

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Kaleb – ★★★½
   “Drunk Mom: ‘Brad, you’re not using drugs, are you?’
   Brad: ‘No Mom! I’m trying to eat my sacrificial heart!’
   Drunk Mom: ‘Don’t forget I’m the one who’s supposed to be addicted.’
   Brad: ‘Okay mom, whatever! Shut up so I can finish my activities!’
   This movie is pretty wild. Technically it’s a proper movie. The sets look nice, the gore & goop is incredible, the lighting is pretty good and so is the camera work.”

2. SickeningGore – ★★★
   “A Brazilian supernatural slasher with some cool gore and terrible dubbing. Sentences are awkwardly spoken at 50% speed. The slasher aspect kicks about halfway through and features some gnarly kills including a hammer evisceration and halved bodies. The story makes almost no sense but all the strange scenes are easily enjoyable.”

3. naughtybutnice – ★★★★
   “Brazilian VHS horror magic. Feels like a Satanic stage play crossed with Lucio Fulci’s dream logic and a cheap Fulci gore budget. Nonsense from start to finish, but never boring. I loved the lighting and fog use.”

4. spacecowboy – ★★½
   “Weird dubbing aside, it was surprisingly atmospheric. Some deaths were creative, and the commitment to surreal horror paid off in a few sequences. But the pacing dragged in the middle.”

5. gorehound23 – ★★★★
   “This is why I love obscure VHS horror. So much heart, blood, and neon lighting. It’s cheap, it’s rough, but it leaves a mark. The final scenes are pure chaos.”

Meta Description:
A cult classic of Brazilian horror, Ritual of Death (1990) is a surreal slasher drenched in fog, gore, and Satanic rituals. This rare VHS gem blends supernatural horror with stage-play theatrics for an unforgettable experience.