User reviews

One of the most original Horror movies that came out of the eastern film industry! And one that has been copied so many times it hurts. So watch this, to see where the hype started! But beware, because many will be alienated by the Japanese slow pacing of the movie. Many of my friends or people I know who watched this (with or without me), were bored!

Again, not because the movie is bad per se, but because they're not used to what Japanese people watch in terms of storytelling! Some even laughed at very serious moments or even scary moments. So this shouldn't be necessarily your first Asian movie you watch, but if you can cope with those minor "flaws" (for most western audiences that is sadly true, although I myself don't see that as a flaw), than watch this horror movie! It's great! :o)

This movie was considerably hyped up, so I saw it eventually. My personal opinion is that this is more of a good mystery movie than a horror movie - it really wasn't that scary, to me at least. The only really scary moments were spoiled for me because I had already seen them before on things like "The 100 Scariest Movie Moments" on TV or something, and the notes by a critic inside the DVD box also spoiled it.

Sound design was one part of this film that struck me - quite good at doing what it was supposed to, sometimes unsettling. I didn't feel a lot of character to be honest - just people making their way through the story.

In my opinion, worth seeing just to investigate the hype, but don't expect to need a new change of underwear after seeing it. For that, you might want to consider The Grudge.

RINGU is forever cursed to be compared to the American remake. This is as unfortunate as it is futile. Both films are great in their own right. This film reflects Japan's culture and society, not that of the West.

The basic story is the same: cursed video tape, unexplained deaths, supernatural goings-on, etc. What makes the original so intriguing is its flashbacks of Sadako and her mother, and the child's dangerous psychic abilities early in her life.

Personally, I prefer RINGU's ending, which shows only Sadako's glaring eye through all that hair. It's more effective and a lot scarier! This movie marks the true beginning of the Asian horror explosion...

After all the wait and hype, my copy of The Ring arrived in the mail today, and I was excited to see what was touted as one of the great horror masterpieces of the last decade. And what I got was something close. Real close...

The movie starts out great with two girls talking you right into the mood the great parts of the movie generate. Dark, creepy, and atmospheric. Here is a modern horror film that doesn't have to rely on over the top gore to send your heart into overdrive. THERE IS NO GORE AT ALL for all you gore hounds out there. Sorry! The story is nothing new, view this cursed tape that is going around, and a week later you'll die.

Maybe it was just the translation on my copy, but half way through, the dialog didn't seem to make much sense. I will watch it again, but I don't really think that it will matter much because this middle section is used to just throw you completely off track. But don't get me wrong, it is interesting to say the least.

The movie doesn't live up to it's bill until the end. WOW, now that was creepy to the max and worth the wait. The score was great and acting believable. If you are looking for a good reason to get creeped out The Ring is it...the only problem is that you may have a hard time finding it due to the fact that it isn't released here in the states. But if you have patience, go for it. It's not the greatest movie but it kicks the Blair Witch any day.

Afterwards the horrible death of some adolescents and her niece Tomoko , the journalist named Reiko begins to investigate rumors about a videotape that causes the strange murders . As she discovers that whenever a teenager spontaneously dies with a horrifying look on his face after hearing a supposedly killing videotape and one time the phone rings ,telling he had only one week to live . The TV reporter shows up to investigate these deeds . Reiko is helped by his ex-husband and later they face a race to save their lives from spooky creature . Reiko tries to get the bottom of mystery and discovers the secrets of life of Sadako and her father . Besides mysterious events are happening at home her husband and both of them are caught up by ominous Sadako.

Based on original Japanese novel by Koji Suzuki , it was a real success in the Asian cinemas and all around the world . This horror film provides great load of screams, grisly killings and creepy atmosphere which becomes pretty sinister with the Sadako appearing . The picture is a sleek production with average budget by approx 1.200.000 dollars , and packs genuine chills , suspense, tension , and shocks , it's a terror-thriller very exciting . The film is paced with intelligent edition, special use of color and slick utilization of shock images . This frightening movie displays thrills , chills , hard-edged drama and ghastly images . While the look is suitable atmospheric and eerie, the argument stretches plausibility to the breaking point. This is an acceptable adaptation of the novel and movie that took successfully Japan . The movie has some special effects describing series of weird and otherworldly happenings and a magnificent make-up specially reflected on the hair-raising countenance of dead . Eerie musical score and tenebrous cinematography with the TV surrealist images filmed in 35 mm and in super 8 style . The motion picture is professionally directed by Hideo Nakata in similar style to Takashi Shimzu movies . Nakata is an expert on horror cinema with eerie phantoms of pale complexion and long hair and directed its following ¨Ringu 2 (1999)¨ ; furthermore he directed US version ¨Ring 2¨ with Naomi Watts. Of course ¨The Ring¨ followed its American version directed by Gore Verbinski whose argument copies exactly the Japan original movie without surprises.

The japanese movie "Ringu" was so scary I couldn't quite think straight after watching it. It makes you feel so tense and alters your perception somewhat. The american "The Ring" is not as purely horrifying as Ringu and Ringu 2, as the pace in the japanese versions are methodical and steady as it gets scarier and scarier. You have to really see both Ringu and Ringu 2 BACK TO BACK to get the full effect. Ringu is essentially an exercise in fantasy-horror, an indulgent push into the strange human interest in the macabre. It is obsessed with two notions: suffering and rage, but highly muted. It is the on-screen equivalent of someone shouting at the top of their lungs in horror as the mute button is pushed. It's just very disturbing to sit through this thing, and I don't think many horror films can even come close to this one.

There are several recurring elements that are of interest, most notably how news reporters are centrally involved with the downfall of the odd and strange, or interfere with others without concern, and the use of television to "babysit" our kids these days. These two elements reinforce the reality of the movie as they correspond with our own ideas of "meddling journalists" and "the danger of TV for our youth", adding a dimension that gives the movie more weight and pull for the viewer. A marvel, go see the original japanese "Ringu" now!

Forget the fact it's subtitled - that only adds to the effect. The director's use of angles, sudden appearances of characters in the frame, wonderfully puzzling flashback and periods of absolute silence combine to form THE best horror film I've seen in years. Forget Blair Witch, this is a true horror story - it could happen to anyone. The Japanese location may make the story more remote, but also makes it more mysterious. The story would work in another locale, say, the Deep South, US, but there's just something about "Ring" which works due to its defiance to comply with cliche. Just when you think you've got the film nailed down and swaggeringly predict the next events, you're proven totally wrong and dealt the double joy and horror of a perfectly timed shock revelation or two. No spoilers about the ending, needless to say, you will not see this one coming...

First of all, I am quite surprised that this movie did not get more votes than this, as it is quite popular here. I don't know if it has been released somewhere else in the world, neither do I know if it has been released on video in other countries than Japan. The plot is quite common, it's a very "Japanese" style horror movie (curses, ghost of a young girl, but no gore...), nevertheless what strikes from the very beginning is the excellence of the directing. The set/lights are quite astonishing, the soundtrack is also very good, with a lot of "scratchy sounds" that make you jump from your seat. In my opinion, there are some few scenes that are close to the perfection (the sequence of the cursed video on which the story is based has to be seen, it makes you feel sooo uncomfortable). To sum it up, although the plot would have deserved more development, it's a good Japanese movie, if you have the chance to find it somewhere, don't hesitate, it gives another vision of "horror". By the way, I've only seen Japanese versions on sale, I don't know if there is an English dubbed/subtitled version.

After reading the reviews about how terrifying this movie is I was excited to see it streaming on Shudder but I was not scared for even a second during this film. Maybe it's because it's from the 90's & I'm just watching it in 2020 but I don't get how anyone can be scared of this .... if I didn't go into it thinking it was supposed to be super scary I would have thought it was a good light thriller at best. Not scary at all..... I can not for the life of me understand all these other reviews

Unlike some reviewers here, I'm happy to have seen Hollywood's 'The Ring' first. Now that I've seen both I would have to say that 'Ringu' is the better film (marginally).

The Hollywood version was quite an unsettling experience in it's own right and having seen it first I rather expected 'Ringu' would be a 'ruined' experience as I was already familiar with the overall story and, of course, THE scene. After all, when the scene finally occurs in 'The Ring' the unexpectedness of it very much increases the shock of it. I hadn't been truly frightened by a scene from a horror movie for a very long time so I was unequivocally impressed.

So when I got around to watching 'Ringu' my expectation was low. I assumed that the absence of surprise would diminish the experience greatly but, as it turns out, the difference in the styles (and some of the substance as well) was adequate enough to scare me all over again even though I thought I knew what to expect. Somehow I doubt that this would have been the case if I'd watched these movies in reverse order. I believe 'The Ring' would have been less enjoyable as it likely would have suffered from comparison.

The familiarity actually served as a primer for watching the original. I've found that reading subtitles often detracts from the complete enjoyment of a film as one's appreciation of the visual content usually suffers from the distraction. In this case though, I found it to be less of a problem. Of course it certainly doesn't hurt to have the ability to rewind and in instances where I was unable to finish reading the dialogue completely you can be sure that I made use of it.

The first difference that struck me was the teens found in the car. Like the girl in the closet in 'The Ring' their faces are frozen into grotesque masks, but the more terrifying aspect is that they have been 'gotten to' outside of their homes and all at the same time. This really drives home the realization that there may be no way to escape this thing. Safety in numbers? Nope. Don't go home? Nope, won't help.

'Ringu' is somewhat more detailed in providing background than is 'The Ring'. The demonic child is shown in a scene that was omitted from the copied version and it adds a little something extra to our understanding of this terrifying entity. Also, I found that the valiant attempt to lift the curse by trying to 'free' the spirit from the well was more intense and claustrophobic (not to mention yuckier) than the American film.

But what is it exactly that is so disquieting about both versions? Well, to begin with, the seemingly unrelated, disjointed and positively eerie imagery that is seen on the mysterious videotape really gets under the skin. The first time we see these we are troubled by the strangeness of them and thoroughly perplexed as to their meaning. We come to realize that a seed of uneasiness has been planted within us. The direction is masterful at nourishing this seed not only by showing short repeats of these images, but also by giving us incremental hints of what is still to come. We are briefly shown the well. Briefly again, the beginning of emergence. Briefly again, it's almost out. More and more I found myself getting cold shivers at each progression. The uneasiness is becoming dread.

But there's something else that frightens apart from the film's construction. Is it the ultimate realization that this thing will not be placated no matter the heroic and well-intentioned efforts of the film's principal leads? Yes, that's an acutely chilling slant to be sure. But ultimately, I feel that the most disturbing element is that, were we to find ourselves in this position, we would be faced with a terrible choice - face the horror ourselves or deliberately inflict it on another. Escape it and you condemn your own soul. Now that's some scary sh*t

As much as I enjoyed the American remake of this chilling film, seeing "Ringu" made the remake comprehensible to me. When I first saw "The Ring" I failed to grasp what kind of story this was--it hit me as I watched "Ringu:" this is a classic Japanese ghost story, from a culture as fascinated by ghosts as the English are. This is the spirit, if you will, in the videocassette. It is a presence so powerful it can physically kill its victim.

The American film is far more atmospheric--it is a horror film that pulls out all the stops. Can anyone forget the frenzied horses on the ferry boat? Or the demented drawing of the soon-to-be-murdered child, which resembled those I have seen created by talented schizophrenics? The Japanese original is far more subtle. It is, however, more explicit about the child's demonic origin somewhere in the sea. No Godzilla she but a baleful force whose malevolence continues beyond the grave.

If you watch the video and then the phone rings, you've got a week to wait, to find out what it will bring, or rather what it will take away, as it's quite a significant price you have to pay, just for pressing play, to see Sadako spring.

Still a great piece of horror film making.

It's been a long time since I watched Gore Verbinski's 2002 remake, but I have fond memories of it, if not enough to offer judgment twenty years on. I've been long overdue to watch Nakata Hideo's 1998 film that launched the franchise, and for that matter I had high expectations; it's very well regarded, after all. If I'm being honest, I don't think those expectations were met. It's hardly that 'Ring' is a bad movie, but I don't find the writing to be entirely strong or convincing, and in a broader sense, as a horror movie it simply doesn't have the impact we anticipate. I'm glad for those who enjoy this more than I do, and it's decent enough to watch on a quiet night, but I'm just not exactly impressed.

I'm not familiar with Suzuki Koji's novel, so I can't speak to this as an adaptation, but I don't think that's so important a question anyway if an adaptation doesn't hold muster all on its own. I find no particular fault with Nakata's direction, nor the acting; this is generally well made in terms of editing, effects, production design and art direction, costume design, hair, makeup, and all the sundry odds and ends of film-making. All, perhaps, except for the music. Vibrant music in pictures can not just complement but amplify the emotions brought forth in the storytelling, and holds untold power to that end; on the other hand, one can also readily discern when a score or soundtrack falls flat, is ill fitting, or in any way fails to achieve the intended effect. Very simply, I think Kawai Kenji's score fails to achieve the intended effect. It carries no especial vibes of tension, suspense, or urgency; at the most critical juncture - the climax - it comes across to me as downright banal and bland. Perish the thought of hearing the striking chords or themes that would bolster a visceral reaction.

And unfortunately, the latter verbiage applies above all to the writing, which just leaves me nonplussed. What parity Takahashi Hiroshi's screenplay shares with Suzuki's book I do not know, but this leans extra heavily on psychic powers in a manner that feels extraneous, almost like a sideline instead of being a major part of the plot like it genuinely is. When an important supporting character very abruptly declares that they have such abilities, for example, it comes out of the blue. Further illustrating the troubles on hand, said moment arrives during a scene with a secondary supporting character who isn't specifically identified at all, and we are left just to surmise that they had some relationship with the figures being discussed. It is to be expected that the narrative would be built primarily on Reiko's investigation of the tape, but even with the short time she has, the narrative and scene writing mostly fail to leave a mark. Just as Kawai's music is bereft, the storytelling lacks tension, suspense, urgency, or any sense of atmosphere; a story is told, but so what?

Despite the cast's best efforts the acting can't summon a spark under these conditions, no matter what's transpiring in a moment. Nor can the death scenes, nor glimpses of corpses. If not for the strange, disquieting imagery we see play out on TV screens, I'm not inclined to think that this feature would facilitate any reaction at all. Even the plot and its development, as they present, feel weak to me, struggling to hold water as they make leaps in logic; the noted instance of a character declaring their ESP is merely one instance. We viewers can connect the dots, yes, but this is not an abstruse mind-bender - the writing is so straightforward that there should be no gaps in the first place.

I don't dislike 'Ring.' Then again, I wonder if I'm not being a little too generous in my assessment as it is. The one thing that a horror flick should do is inspire a reaction of one sort or another, and if it cannot meet that goal, something has gone wrong. May other viewers find this apparent modern classic of J-horror to be riveting in the precise way that I did not; check it out, and have a good time with it, for it's duly worthwhile on its own merits. It's just that for my part, I won't be coming back for more.

This cult Japanese horror follows the investigative journalism of a young Reiko Aswaka, who in the course of duty watches a cursed video tape, in which the viewer is killed by a mysterious force exactly seven days after viewing. In her last week alive she tries to get to the truth behind the video (and it's apparent power) in order to save her life, and also the lives of her son and ex-husband who end up watching the tape.

Chances are you've heard of this film, or at least its American remake. Ringu is the most successful film in Japanese history in terms of financial box office records, and is seen as marmite for horror fans (love it or hate it?).

The first time I saw this film I almost wet myself. Seriously. Every twist, dark camera angle, screeching of the non-melodic soundtrack had my heart racing. Unfortatnutley, it wasn't true of the second viewing. The scares are obvious a mile off (due to long build ups), and in terms of horror it doesn't quite work.

However, I would still say that as a film it still works. Unlike most of its fellow genre inmates, even with the horror stripped away, there is enough narrative to make the film work and the detective side of the story (although fairly underwhelming at times due to the easy accessibility of what they are looking for) makes it far more worthwhile than the typical slasher flicks that have plagued the horror films recently.

The dark undertones (murky lighting, and slow panning shots) certainly create an atmosphere suitable on first viewing, but on second time round, without the shock value, they are a little bit too obvious, as if the plot is stuck in a linear rut in terms of style.

The film is superior to its American cousin in my view due to the strong cast, and the horrifying first viewing (if you haven't seen this film I would advice you watch it with someone, with the lights on), and whilst directed very tastefully and artistically (and far better than any American horror of the last 10 or so years) lacks the brutal or horrific punch an effective horror film should have.

So, day 4 of my Thanksgiving week movie thing. I watched this yesterday (and re-watched it today lmao). Originally I was going to watch the American version, but last second I decided I wanted to watch this version instead. I didn't really have any expectations for this to be honest. I knew it was supposed to be good, but that was it. I didn't watch any reviews or anything. I knew a good amount of the plot due to how the popular it is now, so, it was bound to happen. But wow, this was way better than I expected.

The story is incredibly strong especially for a horror movie, but this isn't much of a horror movie (more on that later), but nonetheless, the story was great. The opening hooks you instantly, and gets you wondering what's going to happen. The mystery aspect is the best part of the story. There are a lot of questions that you want to have answered, and don't worry, they get answered, but the way we reach those answers is great. The tape is genuinely creepy, and adds another layer of creepy to the atmosphere, along with more mystery. Ringu moves at a very fast pace and hits all the main plot points with efficiency, but gives you time to breath and process what's happening, and that's a strong pro. Ringu is also a movie shrouded in mystery, especially with Yoichi and his dad. But as I said before, Ringu isn't a movie that leaves many questions unanswered, nearly every question is answered, which for some movies, especially horror movies, is quite rare.

Now, this is a horror movie so how are the scares? Well, this is where I start to wonder a bit because very few scenes are actually scary, but there is still tension, lots of it. Many scenes are very tense and have you on the edge of your seat, and I appreciate that the tension comes from the fact that you are concerned with what is going to happen in the story, and not the fact that you are scared of a jumpscare or something scary happen. I wouldn't fully consider this a horror movie, but it still has some good creepy imagery, but all things considered, it's more of a mystery film.

Now, the characters. With the 90 minute runtime, Ringu successfully sets up multiple characters for us to care for and be invested in. Ryuji is a very interesting character with a good amount of depth to him, and Reiko is a likeable protagonist who may not have the most amount of depth, you still root for and don't want to see lose.

One of my other biggest praises is the cinematography. This movie is beautiful. So many shots are just serene and peaceful to look at while others are haunting and fill you with dread. The camera work is just overall very impressive. There are lots of shots that could have been done in more generic ways, but have a unique style to them that really adds to the movie. Especially the more close quarter shots, but of course, the more landscape focused shots are just as good, and are a nice feeling of peace, which is always nice to have in such a grim movie. The acting is also great. No performances are bad, and everyone seems to be trying their best, and it really shows because I found everyone to have a really good performance. The dialogue is also very realistic feeling, and is entertaining to watch. I never found there to be any lies that were cringe or out of place, or maybe just didn't land well. Overall, Ringu is an incredibly well-written movie.

I'll be honest, all I knew about the Ring movies were some snippets of the American remake and the Ringu chapter in Dead by Daylight, but this blew my expectations away. Genuinely intense at times, had a great mystery and overall fantastic story, likeable characters, who had good mystery attached to them, a nice twist at the end, and AMAZING cinematography. This is for sure a must watch for horror fans, and people new to the genre because this isn't very scary, and had a massive impact on the genre. Highly recommend!

I have seen both versions of Ringu (Japan-US), and I stay with the original; The ring sucks despite all it's money, tricks and visuals wasted in it. Anyway, Ringu it's such an awesome way to get you scared and, as I suppose everyone knows by now the main plot of this movie, I'll keep my comments short.

The scares here it's not about gory scenes or dead people in a lot of make-up. What Ringu means the most it's psychofear. In terms of story development, it may seem slow -because it is- but this, instead of being boring, it does Ringu more and more captivating; this movie sucks you in it's premise deeper and deeper as time runs. I really liked the killer video, I liked the way they tell the story, I liked the story, and the directing, the acting, and the ending (it's explanation is way better here than in the US remake).

I think the most important thing shown here is that you don´t need big budget to create a great movie. It´s clearly that they, instead of underestimating the power of the mind, made it an advantage because of it's capability to create images 100 per cent more horrifying than any scene they have or could may show. That´s what Guillermo del Toro does and Carlos Enrique Taboada did some years ago (both mexicans directors, and both great!). They use YOUR mind for their own benefit at the moment of get you scared and, based in the results, you sure can't fight against that; this si exactly what Ringu does (besides a few very good visual moments). If you like this kind of cinema, be sure to get a copy of this japanese masterwork of terror. And to watch it, turn off all the lights and turn up the volume. This enhances a lot the experience.

This is a superb horror film. There's something about this film which gets under your skin, into your nervous system, and then it turns out the lights and creeps maliciously into your brain. The film has few jump-out-of-your-seat moments, and minimal violence, but as the plot develops the atmosphere becomes almost unbearably sinister and unpleasant. The climax of this film is one of the most frightening scenes in the history of cinema, and is guaranteed to turn your bones to jelly and leave you a quivering dribbling psychological mess.

Forget the pointless Hollywood remake, go and see this film today! There are no cheap tricks here, no melodrama, just poker-faced top performances from the cast, and some genuinely unsettling dark ideas which will bubble away in your subconscious for years to come.

I recently got to watch this movie on the big screen during a special marathon of J-Horror movies put on by my local cinema I wasn't expecting it to be very good as sadly I had only seen the American 2002 remake and that was arguably one of the worst horror movies I've ever seen so I never bothered looking into the original movie and I regret that decision as Ringu is definitely a cinematic masterpiece by Hideo Nakata.

The movie follows Reiko Asakawa a single mother and journalist who is investigating an urban legend being spread by highschoolers that there is a cursed movie that after watching it the phone rings and a voice says you will die in seven days at first she dismisses it as rumour until her own neice is found dead her face twisted in terror as she died Reiko discovers that her neice and group of her friends had watched a disturbing tape together at a cabin retreat and seven days later all died Reiko tracks down the tape and after watching it the phone rings and she receives the same message that she will die in seven days she enlists the help of her ex husband who also watches the tape now they are both cursed and they have only a few days to discover the tapes origins and creator and lift the death curse on them before time runs out.

The movie looks and sounds amazing using great sound and video effects to create a tense atmospheric movie that builds suspence with its unique story and characters you really invest in right until the end.

The movie on the cursed video tape is actually pretty creepy to watch and actually looks like a VHS would look no special effects or green screens just simple thought provoking imagery and text.

I recommend this movie to any J-Horror movie fan it is well worth watching and owning.

Though the overall plot-lines of 1998's "Ringu" and 2002's "The Ring" were almost identical - (Surprise! Surprise!) - I, personally, thought that the American remake, "The Ring", was, by far, a much more effective and chilling ghost/horror story, in the long run.

After reading all of the gushing raves that "Ringu" was getting from excited reviewers - I cannot believe how downright disappointing and, yes, anti-climatic this film was, for the most part.

Not only did Ringu's story fail to hold and sustain any genuine suspense and terror - But, it was also very weak, visually - And, on top of that - The Japanese actors all seemed to be such amateurs who were just bland and forgettable nobodies, completely lacking in the ability to create dynamic character portrayals.

Nope - For me - This was definitely one of those mighty rare instances where a remake actually surpassed the original on all counts.