Halloween Horror House: Ringu Review
Plot: There’s a new ‘urban legend’ that says if you watch a video that airs on local television in Iku that you will die in one week. A journalist named Asakawa fears that the legend is indeed true, and her life is put in jeopardy when she watches the tape. She has seven days to figure out the truth behind this video and hopefully lift the curse.
Breakdown: I am fully aware that, so far, this year’s HHH is lackluster with just two official entries and one pre-game show. And I am very sorry about that. Other crap just gnaws at what is left of my brain. Shame, because I actually had several objectives with this year’s HHH and one of them was to review J-horror movies and their American remakes one after the other. Back in the early 00’s, it was kinda a thing for America to remake popular J-horrors. Some were hits, like The Ring, others were making something stupid out of something kinda stupid like One Missed Call.
I just find it fascinating that the US tries to remake J-Horror when there’s such a stark contrast between typical American horror and typical Japanese horror. American/Western horror is more about jump scares, serial killers and gore while Japanese horror is more about buildup, ambiance and story. I assume many Westerners would find J-Horror to be boring, and I kinda understand that. I also would understand if many Japanese people found American horror to be disgusting and uninteresting. Melding the two worlds just seems like mixing oil and water.
However, they did see success, which is why it was such a trend back then. However, it was really just running on steam from the success of The Ring, which was the first American J-Horror remake out the gate. The Ring, the Grudge, and One Missed Call are probably the most well-known of these remakes, but the list also includes Dark Water and Pulse. The trend has since died, but that doesn’t mean America doesn’t still try to adapt horror movies from other countries.
So how’s Ringu? I watched this movie some time ago and gave it a rewatch for this review, and while I won’t say it’s particularly scary to me, there is a definite feeling of tension in the air as we grow attached to Asakawa and worry for her safety. The fact that she has a young son doesn’t help matters.
The story behind the tape is quite interesting, and Sadako is a very compelling ‘villain’. I enjoyed slowly learning her story, and it was a little freaky in its own right.
The twist is something I never saw coming, though I do have to say it does make a huge chunk of the movie completely pointless. They did all that research, went to all that trouble and did all that work to lift the curse and save their lives….and in the end it’s essentially a chain letter curse; pass it on and you’re safe, don’t and you’re dead.
There are also several aspects of this movie that were just goofy. Like the sound effects. There are a couple of sound effects that are really cartoony. And when the screen freezes and turns into a negative when Sadako attacks just seems cheesy.
The final scene with the TV is still really effective though, even if the initial creepiness of it wears off on repeated viewings.
All in all, a really good movie, but not horribly scary in my opinion.
So, did The Ring do it justice?
Recommended Audience: To be honest, there’s not much here. No nudity, sex, swearing, and the violence is minimal with no blood to be found. There is some scary imagery but nothing too bad. 7+
