The Ring (2002)
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A journalist uncovers the terrifying truth behind a cursed videotape that kills its viewers seven days after they watch it.
The story
After a teenage girl is killed by an unseen force, her mother asks her sister, Rachel Keller, to investigate the cause. Rachel, a Seattle-based journalist, discovers that the girl's friends also died in bizarre accidents after viewing a mysterious videotape. Rachel tracks down the tape and watches it, receiving a chilling phone call warning her she has seven days to live. As she begins to experience supernatural occurrences, she recruits her ex-husband to help her analyze the footage and uncover the origin of the curse, leading her on a desperate quest to understand the mystery before time runs out.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a girl named Katie dies, her sister Rachel investigates and finds that several others died after viewing a cursed videotape. Rachel watches the tape and receives a warning that she has seven days to live. She and her ex-husband Noah investigate the tape's contents, identifying a woman named Anna Morgan. They discover that Anna had a daughter, Samara, who was hidden away due to her psychic abilities. They eventually find Samara's remains in a well at the Shelter Mountain Inn. However, the investigation leads to a tragic realization: by making a copy of the tape and sharing it, Rachel has allowed Samara's curse to spread. The film ends with Rachel and her son, Aidan, making a copy of the tape to ensure the cycle continues, while she refuses to tell him what happens to those who watch it.
- First release year
- 2002
- Runtime (minutes)
- 115
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Gore Verbinski
- Writers
- Ehren Kruger · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Naomi Watts · Rachel Keller; Martin Henderson; Brian Cox; David Dorfman
- Genres
- supernatural horror; drama
- Themes
- curse; mother-son relationship; technology; fear of the unknown
- Tone and mood
- haunting; atmospheric; dark; disturbing
- Premise and plot tags
- mystery; horror; remake; urban legend
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1991 novel by Koji Suzuki
- Franchise connections
- Ring
- Content notes
- horror
- Reception
- The film received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, praised for its atmosphere and acting, while some criticized the lack of character development.
- Awards and nominations
- Best Horror Film · Saturn Awards · 29th · win; Best Actress · Saturn Awards · 29th · win
- Production trivia
- The production used a unique in-camera color correction process.; The film's success led to several other American remakes of Asian horror films.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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