Ringu (1998)

I watched the American version of this a couple years ago, and remember not really caring for it. I finally got around to the definitive version and I can’t believe I haven’t seen it sooner. It’s definitely one of the better horror films I’ve seen recently. It stands out because it’s a great combination of mystery, crime, and the supernatural. I was reminded a lot of ‘Memories of Murder’, in the sense of storytelling. It starts out very ominously, and as it moves forward, you start to get more comfortable and invested in the story. You join the investigation of the cursed video and I was completely absorbed into the lore. It felt more like an exploration into true crime, rather than horror. Then, the third act hits, and it hits like crack. The scene with the well really had me going, even though not that much happens. It’s about the psychological aspect of it. My heart was racing, and my brain was playing tricks on me. Once you think you’re out of the woods, one last event happens, and I was left completely shocked and mesmerized. Everything was so beautifully written and paced out. It’s one of the most perfect lengths for a film ever, and perfectly paced stories. There’s scenes that give you a chance to breathe and learn more about the past, and then there’s scenes that genuinely had me physically squirming because of anxiety. The performances from Nanako Matsushima and Hiroyuki Sanada were amazing and authentic. They weren’t over the top, like a lot of these types of films are. They were just enough to be realistic and believable, but still stood out as being fantastic. Does that make sense? Lastly, the sound design was very spooky, especially every single time the date was shown. Every. Single. Time. I hate the noise that plays, it makes me feel so uncomfortable and disturbed, but in the best way possible. Overall, this film goes in a great direction that I wasn’t expecting, and one of the most anxiety-inducing films I’ve seen. I don’t know if I would say I was ever scared, but I was certainly anxious and couldn’t sit still. Not a lot of horror films can do that, so hats off to Hideo Nakata. I would recommend this to all crime/horror fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!