Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Ceticultsot Beautiful, moving film.

Sabah Hensley This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Kayden This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Finfrosk86 Current IMDb-score on this is 4.6. Now, this is maybe not the greatest movie ever, but it is not that bad.I saw this at Frightfest Glasgow some years ago, and I thought it wasn't too shabby. Now, my score might be a little high because I saw it at a film festival, and that leaves a different impression than seeing it at home. (Maybe I'll yank it down a star, later some time)Rites of Spring is like two movies in one. Kind of. I knew very little of it beforehand, which is a good thing, and it kept me guessing for a while.I seem to remember the gore being pretty decent, not that it was that much of it, but it was good. Didn't scare me, but kept me entertained.

gavin6942 A ransom scheme turns into a nightmare for a group of kidnappers who become victims of a horrifying secret that must be paid every spring.Horror fans will instantly recognize AJ Bowen, the current independent horror go-to actor. Beyond that, many faces appear on screen that we may never see again. There is particularly terrible acting from the father character, which might take some viewers out of the movie.This might appeal to some people, but it never seems to quite capture what it was going for. While it starts as a kidnapping film, it turns into something like a poor man's "Jeepers Creepers". And even then, there is an undercurrent that is not far removed from "It". At no point does anything seem quite original enough to merit respect.

ASouthernHorrorFan Padraig Reynolds's "Rites Of Spring" is one big one hell of a story. Well actually the film is two stories that build as steady dramatic storms before converging into one monstrous maelstrom of a nightmare. The film stars AJ Bowen (House Of The Devil, A Horrible Way To Die), Anessa Ramsey (Footloose, The Signal), Sonny Marilnelli (ER, The Fallen Faithful), Katherine Randolph (Jarhead), and Marco St. John (Treme, Monster) and follows a group of kidnappers looking for a ransom that inadvertently lead themselves into the path of a psychotic some-what supernatural killer unleashed by a farmer's ritual human sacrifice. Yeah I know, that is an epic set up right!. Not only that but of coarse as always a couple of the kidnappers have other plans for the money situation as the story unfolds. But I don't want to give out a definite spoiler moment of the film.For me "Rites Of Spring" almost fails by bringing the two stories slowly together. At times you think "what the f**k- quit changing' up the story". It is a knee-jerk reaction when watching a film that bounces between story lines alternating scenes from the beginning. This almost makes the interest and build of the film seem pointless and boring. Don't give into any impulse you may have to step away from this film though. It would be a mistake because this film soon lives up to the title and the horror implied within. Just as in life there is no slow set up to a situation you may face or walk into, so to is how this film begins. The story starts as if we were always watching these characters lives with the plot already in motion. It doesn't stop in the steady intense build from the beginning until the final moments with the scene freezes and the credits role. The movie takes place in a small town with little going on. However in this town there just happens to be a family that gives human sacrifice for prosperity of crops in the coming year. A ritual blood offering to a crazed psychotic slasher that may or may not be supernatural. There is no real detail to the origin of the monster in this film. When the lives crash into one another the darkness intensifies and you almost hold your breath in anticipation of what will happen next. There are some pretty intense moments that give fright as they characters are cut down gruesomely one by one. When the action and horror unfolds it is sudden and none stop right up until the last scene. Then the film ends just as quick as it began with no real finish or conclusion. The story or stories as I should say at first seem scattered and confusing but before it can bother you much the plot unfolding on screen seems to hold you long enough for the nightmare to begin. I really enjoyed this film and can't wait for another ritual sacrifice to bring on a new spring. In other words I hope there is a sequel to this movie.

rivertam26 I wasn't sure what to make of Rites of Spring before I saw it. i think i might have seen an obscure trailer for it at some point, I don't remember hearing a lot of buzz about it, only seeing some very cool artwork for the film. Well I'm pleased to say I was pleasantly surprised. What starts of as a run of mill chiller quickly turns into a sort of creature feature of sorts. As the film opens two young women are taken captive and awake to being prepared by an old man talking about something getting fed. As we move along another group of characters are introduced who kidnap the young daughter of a rich gentleman and his wife. Things go very bad when the crime goes awry and ends up in casualties and they cross paths with one of the women who has escaped their captive. The movie works best as an overlong chase scene for the most part. But it's cinematically engaging in that it builds a nice old fashioned 70's tension not seen in the genre it quite some time. Technically it's a polished film competently made. The lead performance from Anessa Ramsey leaves much to be desired. But a now genre standout AJ Bowen makes another solid mark on his horror resume and he's cute too. As for the main villain of sorts the creature design is mostly uninspired but it moves quickly and doesn't leave you a lot of time considering it. The only downfall of the film is although a nail biting, edge of you seat ride it doesn't build to any sort of explanation or complex storyline. Still for what it is Rites of Spring is a solid, well made slasher film with a nice clean cut finale I very much appreciated.