Smart and Scary

Rating: Null/10 (27 October 2002)

(mild spoilers ahead)
I had read reviews of 'Ringu' and expected great things from this movie. I was not let down. From the reviews and previews, though, I expected 'The Ring' to be more surrealistic and not as straight-ahead as it was--though the writing, direction, and cinematography were up there with the best recent Hollywood horror movies.
Here's how I know I liked it: I had to pee really bad about five minutes into the film, but I held it in until it was finished. I didn't want to miss another clue and the story rivited me.
The opening sequence of the two catholic schoolgirls talking about the lethal video seemed to be either an homage to the scene that 'Scream' made into a cliche, or a challenge to show that this cliche could still be made scary. It was well done, but again, it was straight-up horror with no real innovative twist.
The video itself immediately brought to mind E. Elias Merhige's 'Begotten' with it's bizarre imagery in grainy black and white. I was very pleased when these images ended up to have meaning. The final explanation of the video was very clever and very creepy--and that is one of the reasons why I titled my review "Smart and Scary." The balance of things that are explained and those left unexplained is perfect. I left this movie feeling as though I were one of the protagonists--I knew all that they could know and those things unexplained (just what was that girl?) were implied heavily enough that I could either make my own conclusions or leave them be as mysteries.
I have to admit that I don't think of myself as a critic. I sit way up close and want to be absorbed by movies; I want to be taken into their world. "The Ring" did that for me better than some of the recently lauded horror films like "The Sixth Sense" (which I loved but I and many people I know guessed the ending early on which kind of took away from the impact) or "The Others" (which I also loved but was lacking dynamics).
Recommended for horror fans who like to be entertained. Just ignore the hype and see it without expectations.