“The Ring” is creepy, disturbing…and everything a horror movie should be. According to rumor, a cursed videotape exists and, if you watch it, you’ll die in seven days. After watching this mysterious tape, a group of four teenagers — fascinated by the urban legend — are all found dead seven days later.
“The Ring” follows journalist Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) as she investigates the sudden death of her niece, one of the teenagers killed in the opening sequence. At the wake, Rachel overhears some people discussing the strange tape that their friends watched the week before their deaths. This pushes her to watch the film herself. The result: a creepy phone call informing her that she has seven days to live. Now Rachel must find the secret to the videotape fast enough to survive the week.
“The Ring” is a pretty straightforward remake of a recent Japanese horror film by the same title. Aside from an extra subplot, the events in this version are pretty similar. Hollywood has finally taken the jump to international cinema it’s needed for a long time, and with “The Ring” it scores in a major way. Naomi Watts brings an incredible presence to the more effective eerie environment, which is at most times substituted for the usual blood and gore.
Dark, sinister and genuinely horrifying, “The Ring” is a film you will never forget. It’ll make you suspicious of your TV and will keep you up for days. I’m still tired.
3.5 / 5 Stars
Starring: Naomi Watts, Brian Cox, Martin Henderson, Jane Alexander, Amber Tamblyn
Director: Gore Verbinski
