Don't answer that!

Rating: Null/10 (12 November 2002)

Not the Lord of the Ring or the Beethoven classic but actually more like the one around the rosie, but I'm getting way ahead of the story. This well-conceived and -executed film is worth a bowl of popcorn on a stormy night which gives away my sentiment that "The Ring" would be more effective as a video than a feature film. The "killer VCR" theme demands it.

Terrifying death has been visited on several teens who dare to view an avant-garde tape of mysterious origins. The deaths are sudden and mysterious to pique the interest of a local tabloid journalist (Naomi Watts) who happens to be the aunt of one of the "scared-to-deaths." This explains her initial curiosity but the clues are sufficient to elicit a dogged pursuit of the story.
This is a scary story that engages the audience as you see the clues and the race against the curse that promises to kill our fair investigative journalist before she solves it. And if the screams of the teens in the theater are any gauge, it is effective.
"The Ring" may have had the makings of a cult thriller, but its commercial success has already ruined that status. The premise is suited to an indie whose notoriety is developed by word-of-mouth and slipped to the next viewer who is cautioned to watch it at his/her own risk. But that would screw up all those royalties.
So don't feel bad if you miss this as a first-run flick. "The Ring" will improve with age.