Red Book Ritual is the newest film from the Black Mandala film studio. The anthology film has a collection of five short stories connected with a game involving the titular McGuffin. Think of it like using a Ouija board mixed with Jumanji. It’s about how the three friends must read the different stories to exit the game.

The “Red Book Ritual” vignettes were all directed by Ariel Luque, whom also wrote the anthology film. It starts with two women and a man sitting at a table discussing the rules of the game. They give a brief exposition about the history of the house before the film cuts to the first story to further explain the history of the house their sitting in.

“Stray”, directed by Dean Law, is all about whether the cat that lives at the house in question is a Demon or not. Set in pioneer times, a man comes home finding his wife naked, wielding a crossbow while walking into the fields. This one reminds me of the original Evil Dead. It does well at subverting expectations while giving a satisfying, conclusive resolution.

“Little One”, directed by Chris Beyrooty and Logan Fields, is about how a couple grappling with the aftermath of a string of miscarriages is driving home from the hospital when they come across a mysterious stranger on the roadside holding a young boy at gunpoint exclaiming he’s a Demon. This starts with compelling, empathetic characters but the conclusion is confusing because it stops so abruptly. It faded to black so I waited for the next scene but it cuts back to the original three players. It feels incomplete by not answer questions or hinting at some sort of closure.

“Nose Nose Nose Eyes”, directed by Jiwon Moon, takes a page from the J Horror film’s playbook, more specifically Audition. A young girl finds her father in their residence but his hands and feet are bound in the master bedroom. He warns her about her mother before their interruption. The mother returns to the room to brutally torture him while their child listens from under the bed. This one is the most suspenseful of the bunch by far. While not overtly gory, it creates tension by having the torture off screen leaving what transpired up to the imagination of the audience.

“Release”, directed by Daniel J. Phillips, takes place in a hospital where a doctor’s brother is on life support and she’s adamant about keeping him alive. She makes an odd discovery deep within the hospital. She uncovers a bathtub full of blood. This one has a really good jump scare where you’d think something would grab her when she puts her face near it to smell the contents but no. I won’t ruin it here but it’s cleverly crafted and refreshing to see such innovation in modern horror. This jump scare setup reminded me of the kitchen scene in Scream 5. The rest of it is a Paranormal story. Its biggest problem is that everything that happens to the Doctor feels disconnected from where her story starts. She gets haunted by… something because of…reasons and then she’s dealing with her brother’s situation again. It’s not just anticlimactic, it feels so random.

“The Sermon”, directed by Dean Puckett, goes back to pioneer times. A pastor is shaving while his daughter anxiously waits to the point she is near petrified while staring at a bottle of wine she just finished preparing at the same time. This sermon he delivers is about how all sexual deviants must be punished as it shows a montage of his daughter involved in amorous activities with another woman. The hate speech is interrupted by some of the audience violently vomiting. From there the daughter exacts her revenge. This one also suffers from an abrupt ending except it stops in the middle of an intense sequence. It’s extremely jarring.

Overall, the five stories plus the vignettes of the three friends connecting them have their ups and downs. Not that any of the short films are bad, per se, it’s just some stand out above the others. The acting ranges from amateur to amazing. The combination of practical effects is impressive all around. I feel obligated to warn people that early on a dog is killed off-screen, knowing it could be triggering for some. Red Book Ritual reminds me of VHS, Southbound, ABCs of Death, and Underneath: An Anthology of Terror along with the other references mentioned above. I recommend this highly enjoyable film for fans of those. And remember, if the hook of the book is mistook your goose is cooked.