"seven days.."

Rating: 8/10 (12 April 2018)

The Ring (2002) is a rare example of a remake that supercedes its predecessor. The combined elements of cinematography, character development, and special fx make for a movie that deserves acclaim amongst other classic genre flicks like Alien, The Exorcist and Let the Right One In.
The scares are scarce, but that's what makes them so great. They never rely on a loud 'bang' sound to force its audience to react but rather used the ominous sounds of reverberated violin strings and the 'white noise' of a radio channel with no signal.
Naomi Watts proves once again that she is one of the toughest actresses in Hollywood and still to this day is a true 'underdog' of the industry.
While I didn't find it as scary as most fans did (I can understand why it scared them), the mood is genuine and consistent throughout the film; depressing and bleak, whilst not feeling too 'cold' or nihilistic, there's a heart at the center of all the grim Seattle fog.
I saw Ringu as well, and found the 'medium/psychic elements made it feel more folklore/soap-opera and didn't fee grounded enough to engage me one hundred percent. The Ring pulls all the punches and delivers a better story arc, more fleshed out characters, and creepier imagery, and not to mention one of the most gorgeous production designs of any film in recent memory.
The Ring is a classic horror movie that still feels fresh 16 years and 3 dozen ripoffs later.