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The Ritual, starring Al Pacino and Dan Stevens, dramatizes one of the most extensively documented exorcism cases of the 20th century: the 1928 exorcism of Emma Schmidt in Earling, Iowa. Unlike many “based on a true story” horror films, this one draws on an actual published historical account — though the film still takes considerable dramatic license with the details.
The Real Story: Emma Schmidt and the Earling Exorcism
Emma Schmidt — later given the pseudonym “Anna Ecklund” to protect her identity — reportedly began showing signs consistent with what her family and clergy described as demonic possession in her early teens. Her case resurfaced periodically over three decades.
The exorcism most associated with her case was performed by Father Theophilus Riesinger, a Capuchin priest with a reputation for handling possession cases, working alongside Father Joseph Steiger of Earling, Iowa. At Steiger's suggestion, the exorcism was conducted at a Franciscan convent in Earling. It took place across three sessions in 1928: an initial session from August 18–26, a second from September 13–20, and a final, most intense session from December 15–23.
The primary historical source for the case is a pamphlet titled Begone, Satan! A Soul-Stirring Account of Diabolical Possession in Iowa, written in German by Rev. Carl Vogl and later translated by Father Celestine Kapsner. This pamphlet — not a court record, medical report, or independent journalistic investigation — is essentially the sole detailed contemporary account of what happened inside the convent. The case was profiled in a 1936 issue of Time magazine and is frequently cited as a partial inspiration for William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist.
How the Film Compares
The Ritual casts Al Pacino as Father Riesinger and Dan Stevens as Father Steiger, with Abigail Cowen playing Emma Schmidt. The film compresses and dramatizes the real multi-decade, multi-session case into a tighter narrative built around tension between the two priests — an angle reviewers have noted is more of a screenwriting device than a documented historical conflict. The filmmakers leaned on Begone Satan! as source material but invented dialogue, personal backstory, and specific supernatural set-pieces that go well beyond what the pamphlet describes.
Because the historical record itself comes from a single sympathetic religious pamphlet rather than corroborated third-party documentation, “true story” here means the film is based on a real, named woman and a real, dated series of religious rites — not that every detail shown on screen can be independently verified.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Emma Schmidt a real person?
Yes. Emma Schmidt was a real American woman whose case was documented starting in her adolescence and culminating in a widely publicized 1928 exorcism in Earling, Iowa. “Anna Ecklund” was a pseudonym used to protect her identity.
What is the main source for the true story?
The 1935 pamphlet Begone Satan! by Rev. Carl Vogl, translated by Father Celestine Kapsner, is the primary contemporary account. It's a religious document written from the Church's perspective, not an independently corroborated investigation.
Did this case really inspire The Exorcist?
It's frequently cited as one of several possession cases that informed William Peter Blatty's 1971 novel, though The Exorcist is more directly based on a separate 1949 case involving a boy in Maryland known by the pseudonym “Roland Doe.”
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