Ring / Ringu (1998) Dir: Hideo Nakata
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Hideo Nakata's 1998 adaptation of the 1991 novel by Koji Suzuki is one of the horrors I've wanted to see for the longest time, mainly due the iconic premise which spawned sequels and Western remakes.
The film's biggest strength was in its ability to create and sustain an eerie atmosphere, which was fed by the creepy and effective sound design, as well as the surprisingly decent physical effects.
The major weakness I noted was that some of the delivery of dialogue was a little over-acted and corny. Beyond that, the only other thing I didn't like was one particular scene where a certain sound effect was used that simply did not belong in the film - it was almost comedic! It completely took me out of the scene.
The story was intriguing, mysterious and sinister, but suffered from some pretty heavy exposition, that slowed the film down a lot. However, I liked some of the twists, even if it all did get a tiny bit convoluted.
Nanako Matsushima was rather inconsistent, in that half the time she was brilliant, and the rest she came across as though she were an amateur. It's worth saying, she gets away with it in most of those scenes, though.
Hiroyuki Sanada was stellar in the key supporting role. I found him not only believable, but grounded and a stable entity in the film.
Rikiya Ôtaka has a relatively small role, but I think he was so important in creating the eerie atmosphere of the film that he's worth mentioning. He was very good at being a very creepy kid.
Overall, this was a very creepy piece of Japanese horror that quite understandably has influenced a huge contingent of horror filmmakers globally. I really enjoyed it, and while it isn't the scariest film ever, it still has the power to get you at least a few times before the end.
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