Rite of Way (2025) Review – An Instant Classic

When I first sat down for Rite of Way, I braced myself for a scrappy little horror short — the kind of thing that leans into dim lights, fake blood, and jump scares. What I got instead? A wickedly sharp, dark comedy that had me grinning from start to finish.

The setup is deceptively simple: a group of teachers gather in a high school gymnasium, and instead of PTA updates or budget discussions, they’re robed up, candles lit, and fully immersed in what can only be described as a bizarre cult ritual. The last-minute arrival of Cherie — instantly relatable, instantly likeable — throws the balance off, and suddenly she’s the chosen one. What unfolds is less about horror in the traditional sense and more about the absurd, suffocating expectations placed on educators.

Here’s the kicker — on first watch, I was thrown off. I kept waiting for the blood to spill or for some terrifying resolution. Instead, the dread lingers in the background, simmering beneath sharp banter and surreal comedy beats. At first, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. But on a second watch, once I leaned into the satirical bite instead of expecting carnage, Rite of Way clicked hard. And man, was it a blast.

Tyra, who brings Cherie to life, nails the balance between comedic timing and genuine vulnerability. You’re laughing one minute and then suddenly sympathizing with her desperation the next. It’s that duality that makes the short land so well — the laughs sneak up on you because the stakes feel weirdly real.

The production design deserves a shoutout too. The contrast of “back-to-school” banners with flickering cult candles is genius. That visual mashup captures the entire spirit of the movie: teaching shouldn’t feel like a life-or-death ritual, but somehow, in today’s climate, it does.

Rite of Way is clever, off-kilter, and loaded with personality. It doesn’t give you the gore or the scare you think you’re signing up for, but what it does give you is a razor-sharp satire that works on multiple levels. For me, that’s way more refreshing than another splatterfest.

Bottom line? If you’ve ever sat in a fluorescent-lit school gym wondering if the system is designed to chew people up, this short is for you. It’s weird, it’s smart, it’s funny — and on rewatch, it’s even better.