I've Never Been More Scared

Rating: Null/10 (20 October 2002)

Now the fact is, I'm reasonably easy to scare. I come out of scary movies and usually don't sleep well that night. So some would say that would make me a poor judge of the fear factor(not a reference to the mindless show of the same name)of The Ring. However, quite the opposite is true. If I've been scared before, then the odds of something on the same level scaring me are unlikely. Now, I can most easily compare this movie to Red Dragon, while the two are almost nothing alike, they are both meant to elicit a response of fear. Red Dragon frightens on a far more visceral, primal level than does The Ring, which goes for a more psychological fear, but yet also on a very primal level. The images presented in the cassette that kills are very frightening, but we're not sure why. Certainly the strange background noise helps, but it is, in essence, a collection of random images. So why are they so disturbing? Because they have certain meanings that are ingrained in our psyche, all of which have negative connotations. A mirror reflecting something that isn't there, a little girl in darkness, a ladder(walking under one), a woman jumping from a cliff, a millipede and more are all images that are disturbing by their very nature. On with the review! The cinematography was amazing, with camera angles that captured everything that needed to be seen and also clued the more observant in the audience(of which I am certainly not one of!) into what was going on before the movie even said it. The sound was the other best "tool." It was amazing, every single noise meant to elecit a response and every single noise doing so. It contains one of the most terrifying scenes I have ever witnessed, but revealing what would ruin it, but trust me, you'll know when you see it. All in all, a movie that doesn't even strike until you're lying in bed trying to fall asleep and all the images flash in your mind. Very, very well done and scary.