My quick rating - 2.4/10. I vaguely recall watching the first Red Book Ritual and giving it a #turkey. So why not bring on The Red Book Ritual: Gates of Hell? I am apparently a glutton for punishment.
It starts with some guy who looks like he's had a rough night. Then he glances down at a woman on a table who has clearly had a much worse one. At least the practical effects are decent so far.
We then cut to the grieving guy visiting a psychic card reader, who warns him about a dangerous ritual. Robbie (Mario González Martí) wants to contact his deceased girlfriend, so he heads to an abandoned house with a group of young people to perform the Red Book Ritual.
Finally, a horror movie where the woman sees one creepy thing and immediately starts packing her shit to get the hell out. Granted, she's being chased by a giant stuffed animal, but still. Progress.
I started wondering if this was another anthology, with the psychic acting as the narrator like the first movie. At least that would've explained why we suddenly jump from Robbie's story to a random woman boarding an empty trolley where creepy things happen for no apparent reason.
Then it's back to the ritual. Then another unrelated story. A woman hears knocking at her door, finds a weird-looking headpiece outside, and because it's a horror movie, immediately puts it on. Do adults really still pull the blanket over their heads when something supernatural is trying to kill them? Unless that comforter was blessed by a priest, I don't think it's helping.
Back to Robbie's group, where one guy grabs the Red Book and asks if he can leave the game. I completely understand. I wanted to leave too, but unlike him, I had another hour to go. Needless to say, the answer is a very bloody no.
The No Filter segment actually had a decent idea. A woman downloads a beauty filter app during a video chat with a guy whose face is covered in a nasty rash. Before long, she's the one blistering while the app keeps making her look flawless. It's a timely concept that completely wastes itself with a terrible ending.
Then comes Mystery Box, where a woman drags a strange box out of a lake. Horror movie rules say it obviously isn't full of money or happiness. Another solid premise that fizzles out by the finish.
Eventually we return to Robbie and finally learn what happened to his girlfriend. Unfortunately, the anthology never really comes together. The stories barely connect, the Red Book itself is never explained beyond "it does spooky things," and too many segments end just as they start getting interesting.
Stick around through the credits, and you'll at least get the names of each segment. IMDb couldn't even be bothered listing which director made which one, despite every story having a different director. So instead, I'll blame writer Hernán Moyano for stitching together an anthology that feels far less than the sum of its parts.
A couple of decent ideas. Too many weak endings. Another easy #turkey.
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