The Ceremony is About to Begin Review (2024)

Synopsis

Madness, mayhem, and mummification rites ensue when a documentary filmmaker visits the rural commune of an ancient Egyptian inspired cult to interview its enigmatic leader.

My Thoughts

The Ceremony is About to Begin begins by watching some ex-members of a cult, the Osiris Collective, sit there and talk about their past.

Things go to hell when some new guy, Anubis, shows up, and after the leader dies, most of the members bail because, well, it turns out “spiritual enlightenment” is a bit overrated when the leader drops dead and your new cult buddy is a freakin’ lunatic.

Enter Keith Evans, a documentary filmmaker, and what follows is a lot of Keith alone with Anubis on the old cult grounds, and Anubis is exactly the kind of guy you don’t want to be alone with.

He’s like the lovechild of an ancient Egyptian god and that one eccentric guy in every town who thinks he’s smarter than everyone but just makes you want to smack him.

The whole dynamic between Keith and Anubis has this very creepy vibe to it, but it’s got its own weird twist, and Anubis is unsettling, and yet weirdly charming.

Let me give credit where it’s due, Chad Westbrook Hinds (who plays Anubis) absolutely nails the whole peformance, and he’s got that same kind of off-kilter, borderline-psycho charm that Mark Duplass brought to Creep.

It’s like, you know you should leave, but you’re too fascinated to actually walk away, and much like watching a car crash in slow motion, you just can’t look away.

The whole film weaves in this ancient Egyptian history, and it works, and it takes the time to blend Egyptian gods and mythology into the story, which I personally found quite interesting.

This film is not just about the “horror” of ghosts jumping out and scaring you, it’s about this slowly building tension, like you’re waiting for something big to happen.

And the ending I did not see coming, and it’s a pretty good twist, and a satisfying shock that pays off the whole tension that had been built.

The film is pretty short at an hour and ten minutes, and this works in the films favor, sure some extra run time may have added something, but I got enough out of it.

The Ceremony is About to Begin is an interesting, quick horror movie to watch, and the Egyptian twist gives it a bit of originality, and while it’s not breaking any ground in terms of terror, it’s got enough to keep you interested, so you shouldn’t expect it to scare the shit out of you, but it does nail that creepy vibe.

The film was premiered at festivals in 2024, and released to stream in 2025.

The Ceremony is About to Begin Trailer
The Ceremony is About to Begin on IMDB

Good Points

Strong Lead Performance – Chad Westbrook Hinds as Anubis brings a chilling, unpredictable energy to the film.

Tension-Building – The film does a decent job of slowly ratcheting up the tension, and building an uncomfortable atmosphere.

Short Run Time – At just 70 minutes, the film is concise and doesn’t overstay its welcome. It’s a quick watch that doesn’t drag on unnecessarily.

Bad Points

Limited Horror Elements – While the tension is strong, the actual horror is fairly light. Don’t expect ghosts or demons jumping out at you, and while the supernatural elements are there, they are not as impactful as they could’ve been.

Predictable Moments – Some aspects of the story feel a bit too predictable, especially if you’re familiar with the found-footage genre.

Underdeveloped Cult Backstory – The film hints at the cult’s origins and connections, but are not really fully explained. Maybe a longer run time may have helped with that, actually?

Is It Worth Watching?

I’d say it is yes, if you want to watch a short atmospheric film with a creepy vibe, and the film does a decent job at building some tension.

Where To Stream The Ceremony is About to Begin

Amazon Video

Director and Cast

Director – Sean Nichols Lynch

Main Cast – Chad Westbrook Hinds, John Laird, Raul Delarosa, Cody Frost, Michelle Westbrook Hinds.