Absolutely Riveting, an Improvement on the Original

Rating: 9/10 (3 December 2002)

It's nice to know that occasionally, Hollywood CAN do it right.
No doubt about it, THE RING is one of the scariest, most intense horror films I have ever seen. And that's amazing, considering I'd already seen the original Japanese movie it's based on, RINGU, and pretty much knew what was going to happen all through the film and was still on the edge of my seat. The screenplay by Ehren Kruger manages to faithfully retell the original film's story but add just enough new twists to keep you guessing.
The story follows reporter Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) on the trail of an urban legend about a cursed videotape. Apparently, as soon as you finish watching the tape, your telephone rings and a whispered voice tells you that you have seven days to live; and at the end of seven days, you die. Rachel is drawn into the mystery of the tape when her sixteen-year-old cousin drops dead, apparently a victim of the curse.
Pretty soon Rachel finds the tape itself, and, being the reporter she is, she watches it and, sure enough the phone rings... and suddenly she believes.
It's incredible how much more suspenseful this film is than the original, considering that it follows the same basic outline. One way it does this is by adding new texture to each scene; what was eerie in the first film is absolutely frightening in this one. And director Gore Verbinski's visual style keeps the tension building, with an almost total lack of humor (which is interesting in and of itself, considering all of his previous films have been comedies).
To sum it all up, this is an amazing film you do NOT want to watch alone!