The Ceremony Is About to Begin

This unusual found footage style horror movie presents a little mystery inside of a much bigger mystery. You can probably guess the solution to both puzzles early on, but the tension comes from waiting for the inevitable and very disturbing reveal.

There is a cult. The protagonist's girlfriend was part of that cult, but has disappeared. Where did she go? Our intrepid YouTube detective investigates the cult's grounds, only to become confronted with a much bigger question: where did everyone else go? A richly decorated ancient Egyptian commune (props to the production design team) that is fit to house hundreds of moonies is weirdly vacant, save for one deeply odd fellow named Anubis.

We know Anubis is hiding something. We know our man is in trouble. We know something very very bad is going on here. And again... if you've been paying attention and you've seen a horror movie before, you can probably guess what it is.

Still, I found the chemistry between the leads and the accompanying tension to be quite strong. All of the set design and Egyptian artifacts defy the presumably small budget and add to the atmosphere. Yes, the ending is a bit predictable, but execution is what counts here and I was glad that in that respect the filmmakers went for the jugular and didn't hold back when it counted.

Like a lot of found footage movies, this is 2/3 slow buildup and 1/3 insane payoff. The chit-chat drags a bit, but this is a very short film and the extended setup ultimately pays off in dividends when you get to the last 20 minutes. The final scene in particular is one of the most outlandish and surprising I've seen in some time. For me, this is why I watch indie horror. The budgets are tiny, but these films are willing to go places that mainstream horror simply would never even contemplate. The poor ratings on this one suggest this film has been a victim of mismarketing. No, this is not really a "mummy" movie exactly, but actually something much more disturbing and (darkly) funny. Recommended for those with adventurous tastes.

The Ceremony Is About to Begin" (2024) is only 70 minutes long, yet it somehow feels much longer. The protagonist makes one dumb decision after another, while the antagonist is so over-the-top goofy that it's impossible to take him seriously. Instead of being scary, the film leans on gross-out moments that add nothing of value. One cult member says she regrets not leaving earlier-something I completely related to. I kept hoping it would improve, but it never did. By the end, I was just relieved it was over. If you're looking for real horror, skip this. This ceremony isn't worth attending, and neither is this movie.

Always happy to see a small indie horror create big crazy worlds with a tiny budget. Anubis is such a weird and specific character, played perfectly by Hinds. Keith is a fun foil for him. Aside from the elaborate set design of the cult headquarters, this is mostly just two actors sparring with each other for most of the runtime, so I expect this movie being misleadingly marketed as a "mummy found footage movie" is hurting its rating on platforms like this. The ending is insane and gross as its reputation suggests, but I actually preferred the journey to get there. The short runtime is also a plus as this thing just shot by.

I first heard about this one stumbling on the trailer and was surprised to see that it had 100% on Rotten Tomatoes (maybe a little high tbh). The trailer promised "Creep meets The Sacrament" with a supernatural Egyptian twist and that's exactly what the film delivers. I love the way the movie switches gears so deftly between styles - the mockumentary sequence that opens the film sucks you right into the world and the exploration of the empty cult grounds fills you with dread before switching into a really satisfying two-hander before totally delivering on the promise of the poster. Highly recommended for die hard fans of found footage hungry for something new. If you didn't like Creep, The Sacrament, or Blair Witch, probably won't be your cup of tea.