A J-horror remake that actually works

Rating: 7/10 (2 November 2016)

Hurrah! Once in a while, the law of averages means that a remake comes along that's actually HALFWAY DECENT. THE RING is such a remake, and in fact, it's actually a very good movie (despite coming only just four years after the original Japanese film that kick-started the "horror videotape" craze). My only complaint is that it follows the original film so slavishly – albeit with a slight diversion into the world of horse-racing – that anybody who has seen the Japanese movie needn't bother watching this version, or vice versa. Director Gore Verbinski comes up trumps with this terrifying psychological horror yarn whose only flaw is to slightly overplay the running time, leaving us slightly bored about two-thirds of the way through as we wait for the finale to happen.
Otherwise things are spot on, with the movie retaining a level of suspense and brimming terror all the way through. Acting duties are top-notch, particularly the unknown Naomi Watts who shines as the lead character, and Martin Henderson who is also strong as the estranged father (albeit not as strong as Hiroyuki Sanada, the actor playing his role in the original). David Dorfman is the most expressive, spooky-looking child actor I've ever seen, and old pro Brian Cox ups the ante with his powerful ranting turn as the anguished father.
The visual look of this film is fantastic, complete with lots of shots of weird landscapes, moving clouds, and other great stuff. The videotape footage is extremely disturbing, as it should be, and the brief glimpses we get of the curse victims are extremely frightening thanks to the ultra-grotesque make-up. There's a surprising set-piece involving a run-away horse which acts as a nice release of tension, while the film steers refreshingly AWAY from the Hollywood formula by sticking close to the original and offering a handful of new surprises too. Following on from the last good horror yarn – THE OTHERS – THE RING may not be original but it sure is scary.