The colonial history of a country is often one of the darkest and most shameful pages in the history of that nation. I know for a fact this is the case for my country, Belgium. The degrading practices that took place in the Republic of Congo between 1900 and 1960, such as extreme slavery and exploitation of local resources, have left deep wounds on the people of the country and - still today - on their descendants. In recent years, the matter has flared up again, due to riots and protests, and apologies have been demanded from the government and the Royal Family for all the traumas and humiliations caused by King Leopold II and several wealthy industrialists/plantation owners.
"Ritueel" cleverly attempts to cash in on this contemporary (and very sensitive) political/social commotion. When police diver Kiki Schelfthaut brings up a chopped off hand from the bottom of a Brussels' canal, she quickly links it to a ritual that was performed during the revolution at the end of the colonial period, in which the local population cut off the hands of their former "plantation masters" as revenge for years of abuse. Kiki should know, because her father was a lawyer who fought for the rights of the local Congolese population. When missing sons of wealthy industrialists are then found as corpses without hands, it is clear to Inspector Cafmeyer that the killer must be sought in the troubled Congolese community of Brussels. Meanwhile, Kiki also struggles with the trauma of her parents who drowned in a diving accident, and with her useless brother who hides sinister things.
Some nice ideas and plenty of goodwill from the cast, but "Ritueel" fails to make a really strong impression. I haven't read the Mo Hayder (*) novel on which the film is based, but I hope (for the sake of everyone who does read it) it's livelier and a lot more involving. "Ritueel" is often tedious, predictable, and completely unremarkable. Director Hans Herbots seems a bit afraid to tackle the touchy colonial subject, and then chooses to focus on how arrogant and ruthlessly rich people can be, even towards their own children. Also, I love Marie Vinck and she's a more than decent actress, but she can't carry the whole movie (and especially her character's sub plots) alone. At the same time, another very good actor, Geert Van Rampelberg, is barely used in the film.
(*) The story behind author Mo Hayder seems more interesting to me than the novel itself. Apparently, the name is a pseudonym of Candy Davis, who was an actress in the comical sitcom "Are you being Served?" and a nude model in the 1980s! What a fascinating career-variety! Candy Davis / Mo Hayder died in 2021, and "Ritueel" is dedicated to her memory.
