Best...thriller...in years.

Rating: 9/10 (19 October 2002)

I'll cut right to the chase: The Ring is the most spine-tingling, stylish, suspenseful and satisfying horror film of AT LEAST the past decade. Or perhaps, at least out of the so-called "thrillers" I've seen in the past 10 years. Superbly filmed and paced, the movie clutches you from the opening scene and doesn't let go until the credits roll.

Pros: - The Fincher-esque noirish cinematography is beautiful to behold, while creating an enveloping sense of dread and paranoia...never has the Pacific Northwest been so terrifying. - Naomi Watts's screen presence keeps your eyes glued to the screen even when Verbinski backs off on the scares (which isn't often). Plus, she is in her undies at one point. Yummy. - Like any psychological thriller worth its salt, The Ring never resorts to gore or cheap scares, although the few instances of FX use are extremely tasteful and will chill you to the bone (There is no asinine CGI use here that would spoil the film, as it did in the recent "Signs"). Everyday objects such as ladders, chairs and especially televisions are imbued with ominous weight. The cursed video itself looks like a student film collaboration between Trent Reznor and Salvador Dali, and is creepier in and of itself than most of the "thrillers" that have come out recently (*cough*feardotcom*cough*halloweenresurrection*cough*). - A scene involving a mad horse on a ferry is one of the most intense and riveting pieces of cinema I've seen in my life. It's worth the price of admission alone. The tension in the film is almost unbearable at times, which is fantastic...and there's always a payoff.

BRIAN COX! BRIAN COX! BRIAN COX! - Didn't you always think wells were pretty creepy? Yeah, so did I. After seeing this, you won't want to travel within 10 miles of one.

Cons: - A couple of the twists are pretty predictable. - The screenplay insists on overexplaining certain aspects...perhaps they would have been more effective if left more ambiguous? - Certain aspects of the ending could've been presented a little more clearly...as opposed to other things which could've been better if more vague, I thought the ending could've come together a little better. Don't worry though, it makes perfect sense after thinking about it for a few minutes.
Overall: As you can see, my quibbles with the film are very minor. As a whole, The Ring is a stunning visceral thriller, overflowing with the kind of nightmarish psychological content that will stay with you for weeks after seeing it. Anyone looking for the kind of unsettling "smart-horror" most recently espoused in films like "The Sixth Sense", "Session 9", and "The Others" will be in for a delightfully macabre treat.