The Ring

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The Ring

1998

1h 36m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

46 Reviews

81%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

When her niece is found dead along with three friends after viewing a supposedly cursed videotape, reporter Reiko Asakawa (Nanako Matsushima) sets out to investigate. Along with her ex-husband, Ryuji (Hiroyuki Sanada), Reiko finds the tape, watches it -- and promptly receives a phone call informing her that she'll die in a week. Determined to get to the bottom of the curse, Reiko and Ryuji discover the video's origin and attempt to solve an old murder that could break the spell.

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Critics Consensus

Ringu combines supernatural elements with anxieties about modern technology in a truly frightening and unnerving way.

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Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

09/16/2022

Its strength is in its simplicity and its cultural purity.

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Alan Stanbrook

Daily Telegraph (UK)

09/16/2022

Almost nothing terrible is shown: the real horror lies in the viewer's anticipation.

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Andrew Pulver

Guardian

09/16/2022

A most artfully creepy piece of work.

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David Parkinson

Radio Times

Oct 29

4/5

Artfully mixing footage formats to achieve a visual texture commensurate with both the tone of the story and Kinji Kawai's eerie score, Nakata inexorably builds the suspense right up to the chilling climax.

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

08/25/2024

10/10

Decades on, it remains one of the great works of horror cinema.

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Keri O'Shea

Warped Perspective

04/14/2023

A

On occasion, a film comes along which makes an almost immediate, indelible mark. As soon as it appears, it disrupts what came before it; it can be difficult to even remember a time before it, so quickly do its characters and archetypes take hold.

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Todor Y

@Phantom961 Apr 24

It's good but i like the remake from 2002. Way better handled history and acting.

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Farah R.

@Farah Feb 13

I finally got around to watching the Japanese version of The Ring, and I was surprised how different it is from its American counterpart. The film is more focused and slow, building suspense through storytelling rather than jump scares. It felt more like a crime drama than a horror movie. The actors were brilliant and I loved how the plot unfolded. It’s undoubtedly a more intelligent film than its remake.

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Dallas H

@FozzieMcFly Feb 2

The original Japanese version has an entirely different tone and vibe in comparison to the American remake. It feels more subdued in its horror and jump scares compared to how American filmmakers do it. I enjoyed the original and look forward to watching the Japanese sequel and prequel later.

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Ryan F.

@FrostyJim Jan 5

I enjoyed this movie a lot. I see why people would want to remake it.

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Gabriel T

@GabrielFagundes Nov 6

Despite it being a evident product from another time, it still manages to lures you with its story. I'd say it's an almost perfect movie. It's easy to understand why it became so popular and influential

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K P.

@kpbaby Nov 2

It’s a classic, interesting plot and series backstory, not hauntingly scary but nice and creepy.

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Hideo Nakata

Director

Nanako Matsushima

Reiko Asakawa

Hiroyuki Sanada

Ryuji Takayama

Miki Nakatani

Mai Takano

Yuko Takeuchi

Tomoko Oishi

Hitomi Sato

Masami Kurahashi

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Synopsis

When her niece is found dead along with three friends after viewing a supposedly cursed videotape, reporter Reiko Asakawa (Nanako Matsushima) sets out to investigate. Along with her ex-husband, Ryuji (Hiroyuki Sanada), Reiko finds the tape, watches it -- and promptly receives a phone call informing her that she'll die in a week. Determined to get to the bottom of the curse, Reiko and Ryuji discover the video's origin and attempt to solve an old murder that could break the spell.

Director: Hideo Nakata
Producer: Takashige Ichise, Shinya Kawai, Takenori Sento
Screenwriter: Kôji Suzuki, Hiroshi Takahashi
Distributor: Golden Scene [hk], Potential Films, Califórnia, Primer Plano Film Group S.A., Anolis Entertainment, Toho Company Ltd., Kadokawa Shoten Pblshg, Haut et Court
Production Co: Omega Project, Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co.
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 31, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 21, 2019
Runtime: 1h 36m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)