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Movies / On DVD / Ringu
Ringu

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Ringu (1998)

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Reviews Counted:29

Fresh:28

Rotten:1

Average Rating:7.5/10

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

Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins

Genre: Foreign Films

Synopsis: Exactly one week after staying at a remote cabin, a group of Japanese teenagers all meet sudden inexplicable deaths. A cousin of one of the victims, reporter Reiko Asakawa (Nanako Matsushima),... Exactly one week after staying at a remote cabin, a group of Japanese teenagers all meet sudden inexplicable deaths. A cousin of one of the victims, reporter Reiko Asakawa (Nanako Matsushima), begins an investigation that leads to the discovery of a videotape containing hauntingly bizarre footage. Upon viewing the tape, Reiko receives a phone call stating that she, too, will die in one week. As the clock ticks away, Reiko enlists the help of her estranged husband, Ryuji (Hiroyuki Sanada), who possesses limited psychic abilities. Together they attempt to discover the meaning behind the cryptic film and break the supernatural curse. Hideo Nakata's RING, based on a novel by Kôji Suzuki, was such a hit in Japan that it spawned both a sequel and prequel, along with a huge cult following. Like a horrific version of an X-FILES episode, the dark, moody film makes the most out of the mysterious and the unknown. As any viewer will admit, the surreal, death-inducing video presented within the movie is extremely effective. And as RING's tension builds, so does its sense of mounting doom. One of the creepiest motion pictures ever made, RING culminates in an unbelievably chilling finale. Do not watch this film alone...and make sure the phone ringer is off. [More]

Starring: Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Miki Nakatani

Starring: Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Miki Nakatani

Director: Hideo Nakata

Director: Hideo Nakata
Screenwriter: Hiroshi Takahashi
Composer: Kenji Kawai

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Mar 4, 2003

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Ringu

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1 - 20 (sorted by source)
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No review available.

comment Comment
05/16/05
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Subtly expressive faces and spooky interiors are the order of the day in this original, powerful treat.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
10/07/08
Michael Thomson
Michael Thomson
BBC

A landmark in horror cinema, Japan's Ring is arguably the most chilling pieces of popular supernatural cinema of the 90s.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
09/25/07
Channel 4 Film

Contando com uma premissa curiosa, o filme mergulha o espectador em um clima de forte suspense, culminando em um desfecho que certamente fica na memória.

comment Comment
01/20/03
Pablo Villaca
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena

Confieso que hacía mucho que no me espantaba así, y que la escena crucial final es simplemente terrorífica.

Full Review Source: Cinenganos | comment Comment
08/08/02
Alex Ramirez
Alex Ramirez
Cinenganos

No review available.

comment Comment
11/20/07
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

It's hard to fairly judge a film like RINGU when you've seen the remake first. Many of the effective horror elements are dampened through familiarity, [yet] are worthwhile.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
04/01/03
Brian Mckay
Brian Mckay
eFilmCritic.com

An effectively creepy, fear-inducing (not fear-reducing) film from Japanese director Hideo Nakata, who takes the superstitious curse on chain letters and actually applies it.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
11/12/02
Greg Muskewitz
Greg Muskewitz
eFilmCritic.com

No review available.

comment Comment
08/21/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

Bog standard horror offering with a distinct lack of action or plot.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment 1 Comment
09/25/07
Adam Smith
Adam Smith
Empire Magazine

Director Hideo Nakata's film is a minor masterpiece -- a low-budget horror gem.

Full Review Source: ESplatter | comment Comment
07/12/08
Steve Biodrowski
Steve Biodrowski
ESplatter

No review available.

comment Comment
08/24/05
Jake Euker
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS)

Neither inferior nor superior to the Hollywood version.

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment 2 Comments
03/22/03
Bill Chambers
Bill Chambers
Film Freak Central

No review available.

comment Comment
08/30/02
Rob Vaux
Rob Vaux
Flipside Movie Emporium

It hit something primal in me, turning me into a quivering ball of nerves; my 'fight or flight' switch was turned to flight and then broken off.

Full Review Source: Goatdog's Movies | comment Comment
05/02/06
Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Goatdog's Movies

Ring has indescribably disturbing moments that frightened me out of my wits. But like many of the Japanese horrors that followed, it sometimes has an elliptic and confusing storytelling style that can make plot-progression muddy.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
10/31/08
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]

If nothing else, this movie introduces a promising, unusual kind of psychological horror.

Full Review Source: Montreal Film Journal | comment Comment
09/10/02
Kevin N. Laforest
Kevin N. Laforest
Montreal Film Journal

If it's unnerving suspense you're after -- you'll find it with Ring, an indisputably spooky film; with a screenplay to die for.

Full Review Source: Moviehole | comment Comment
10/02/02
Clint Morris
Clint Morris
Moviehole

Even if it's been tailor made for Japanese schoolgirls, it still had me screaming like one.

Full Review Source: MovieMartyr.com | comment Comment
07/13/02
Jeremy Heilman
Jeremy Heilman
MovieMartyr.com

No review available.

comment Comment
01/13/07
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by source)
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