Wraps Itself Around You.

Rating: Null/10 (26 November 2002)

Atmospheric and definitely disturbing modern horror film that sticks with you like crazy glue during its running time and beyond. Teenager Amber Tamblyn dies mysteriously one night at home and it appears that the youngster was literally scared to death. Aunt and Seattle news reporter Naomi Watts quickly learns that her niece had supposedly viewed a strange video tape a week earlier. Tamblyn's three friends had also watched the tape with her and died under odd circumstances. Watts' investigative skills lead to the discovery of the video, but she makes a huge mistake by viewing its contents. Now it seems that Watts is the target of the curse and she must race against the clock to find out how she can overcome the evil powers. Former lover Martin Henderson and young son David Dorfman also fall into the trap of viewing the film and their lives become jeopardized as well. Together Watts and Henderson embark on a journey together to save their lives and save the life of their young son. Naturally mystery lies in every direction as the contents of the film are slowly presented in real life, but what symbolism do the striking images possess? "The Ring" is one of those odd films that really leaves more questions than answers. It is a disturbing film that has some dark imagery that will stick with you long after viewing it. The PG-13 rating is very misleading as this should have been an R hands down. The movie wants to be a darker version of "The Sixth Sense" and somewhat succeeds in that regard. However, "The Ring"'s tone makes it a film that bears sharp comparison to films like "Night of the Living Dead" (the 1968 version) and "Rosemary's Baby" in the fact that it relies more on confusion than clarity. The direction is solid, the screenplay is all over the map and Naomi Watts steals the show as she did in the equally confusing "Mulholland Dr.". While "The Ring" does not match the brilliance of Lynch's "Mulholland Dr.", it is still a striking work that ends up being a success by the last intense act. 4 stars out of 5.