Ring
This review contains spoilers
A few notes:
- The iconic scene is obviously Sadako coming out of the television. It's been a while since I saw the American version of this movie (so I don't know where it was placed in that one) but I waited and waited and was scared that it wasn't in this. But it was. And it was beautiful. But another great scene is when Asakawa opens the door and her son is sitting there watching the tape. And there are plenty of others but those are the two I loved the most. And somehow they made putting water in buckets not the most boring thing in existence.
Oh, and when Asakawa hugs the skeleton and what follows... it just kind of made me sad. Like a real, deep sadness.
- The premise of a cursed video tape where if you watch it you die in a week, and it spreads when someone sees it, is still excellent. In fact, I would argue that while it being a video tape back then because that's what we had was cool, in modern day it's even better because grainy, not 1080/4K footage is creepy as shit. And now it seems so foreign to us. And it just speaks to me because I like horror that makes you rewatch videos or whatever, and you pick up little bits and pieces. And then as I mention above, it culminates in the girl coming out of the well and into the real world.
And a cursed tape that spreads upon watching is always going to be a cool idea.
- Though there are many horror movies that I love that aren't slow burns, I do love what j-horror does, since it prioritizes the stuff I also prioritize. So a movie like this is built to appeal to my own sensibilities.
- The central mystery is actually interesting. I know The Ring differs in some key ways, and I didn't remember any of it anyway outside of the premise, television scene and Naomi Watts (who I adore), but I thought there were some interesting twists. The focus on ESP, who killed Sadako, etc. It's all very tragic as opposed to outright evil in The Ring. And since it's a ghost/onryo story, I like it more than she's a tragic antagonist who does horrible things rather than simply malicious, because ghosts are more interesting when it's that way.
- The iconic scene is obviously Sadako coming out of the television. It's been a while since I saw the American version of this movie (so I don't know where it was placed in that one) but I waited and waited and was scared that it wasn't in this. But it was. And it was beautiful. But another great scene is when Asakawa opens the door and her son is sitting there watching the tape. And there are plenty of others but those are the two I loved the most. And somehow they made putting water in buckets not the most boring thing in existence.
Oh, and when Asakawa hugs the skeleton and what follows... it just kind of made me sad. Like a real, deep sadness.
- The premise of a cursed video tape where if you watch it you die in a week, and it spreads when someone sees it, is still excellent. In fact, I would argue that while it being a video tape back then because that's what we had was cool, in modern day it's even better because grainy, not 1080/4K footage is creepy as shit. And now it seems so foreign to us. And it just speaks to me because I like horror that makes you rewatch videos or whatever, and you pick up little bits and pieces. And then as I mention above, it culminates in the girl coming out of the well and into the real world.
And a cursed tape that spreads upon watching is always going to be a cool idea.
- Though there are many horror movies that I love that aren't slow burns, I do love what j-horror does, since it prioritizes the stuff I also prioritize. So a movie like this is built to appeal to my own sensibilities.
- The central mystery is actually interesting. I know The Ring differs in some key ways, and I didn't remember any of it anyway outside of the premise, television scene and Naomi Watts (who I adore), but I thought there were some interesting twists. The focus on ESP, who killed Sadako, etc. It's all very tragic as opposed to outright evil in The Ring. And since it's a ghost/onryo story, I like it more than she's a tragic antagonist who does horrible things rather than simply malicious, because ghosts are more interesting when it's that way.
Mini Review: This holds up, but only if you like slow burns. The premise is still A+ and the last bit is iconic, but if you're looking for jump scares, you'll only find a couple. But if you want to sink your teeth into an interesting, haunting supernatural mystery/procedural that focuses more on memorable imagery, storytelling and atmosphere then this is a winner.
Watch the Trailer