The Ring

Genre-wise, it's one of the best psychological horror films of the decade, a very successful remake of the original Japanese version, which is stylistically more appealing but less digestible for the Euroamerican viewer. In terms of gradually building atmosphere, it is very well executed both in terms of direction and screenplay. Overall impression, 90%. (01/12/2008)

A number of great scenes, a decently mysterious atmosphere and skillful direction, which sometimes plays with the clichés of horror films (several times during the introduction, for example with the refrigerator door). Unfortunately, at one point it kind of logically stalled and I got a few questions about the curse and its cancellation (so SPOILER): Why was Rachel hallucinating all the time when the curse didn't really affect her anymore and only Noah (and later Aidan) were supposed to die? Is there some kind of "You may not die, but you'll hallucinate until the other guy dies" rule? Or is it simply a hole in the script? I'd be willing to accept the explanation that Rachel's hallucinations were just memories of what she saw in the video, but that would have been undermined by the finale in the well... I don't know. (02/12/2017)

Though The Ring doesn’t come up with anything new in the context of clichés and the screenplay has some lapses in logic, it is so brilliantly made that it can only be praised. It’s a razor-sharp horror flick with bleak cinematography, a terrifying soundtrack, a perfectly cast little boy and, mainly, the beautiful, natural and spontaneous Naomi Watts. (04/06/2003)

There are some excellent scenes, and a few compositionally clever shots, but after it finished I told myself “Is that it?”. I don't know what it was that didn't work, but I just wasn't scared, which is a pretty serious problem with horror. The Ring just fizzled through my head. I have quite a problem with remakes of Japanese horror movies. (03/02/2003)

If I've ever been scared shitless while watching a movie, this horror film is to blame. I don't know about the Japanese original, but Verbinski has managed to handle an absolutely brilliant and in itself terrifying premise in perhaps the best possible way. When Naomi Watts plays that evil videotape in that remote cabin, I was reluctant to watch it myself, as if I was already expecting a phone call and the deadly words "seven days" when the tape ended. Yes, the atmosphere is incredibly dense from start to finish, it's a completely different kind of fear, one I haven't encountered in any other horror film so far. The gloomy atmosphere is further deepened by the absolutely convincing performance of little David Dorfman. And yet, I’m not giving it a full rating. While the film was a real test of nerves, its story didn't have nearly the power of, say, The Shining or Hooper's Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Rather, it's a very skilfully packaged and spiced omelette that loses a bit of its flavour on a second viewing. But only a little, really... 80% (02/16/2012)