|
|
|
|
|
Disturbing. That pretty much sums up this suspense-thriller by director Gore Verbinski. The opening scene is reminiscent of the relatively recent wave of teen-shocker, urban-horror flicks -- minus the gore. Even so, it carries a sense of depth and gravity that hints at something truly frightening lurking below the surface. Think Scream meets The Sixth Sense.
If that doesn’t appeal to you, stick with it. Any traces of Scream-ishness are quickly shed, and the remainder of the film is an intense, psychological journey in which the slowly emerging details keep you guessing and re-evaluating your assumptions. And by “intense,” I mean horrific as well as compelling. My fiancée was ready to leave within fifteen minutes, and she cried for an hour afterwards. Yeah, I’d say “disturbing” is a pretty good word for this one.
According to the promotional web site, The Ring is a remake of a Japanese movie based on Koji Suzuki’s novel of the same name. It follows newspaper reporter Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) as she slowly unravels the mystery of an unlabelled videotape that kills its viewers exactly one week after they watch it. Of course, she has to seek out the truth because -- no ruiner here -- she watches it herself. With the help of Noah (Martin Henderson), her videographer friend, she pieces together an explanation that leads the audience through a series of buildups where even the simplest actions have an edge-of-your-seat tension.
The central adult roles are all well-acted by comparatively new talent, so there’s not really anyone with enough star-power to get in the way of the plot. I recognized some faces, but didn’t know any names. The Ring also includes two stunningly dark performances by young actors that give new meaning to the product label “Keep Away from Children.” You’ll certainly want to after experiencing this.
This movie is very well edited regarding the use visual and audio effects. Besides a couple of quick flashes, I don’t recall seeing any truly disgusting shots. There are definitely no gratuitous gross-out tactics at work. Everything contributes to the storyline, eventually.
While I have heard some talk of disappointment from acquaintances, I can’t imagine why from my own experience. This was a fascinatingly effective thriller that kept me guessing all the way through -- even during the refreshingly startling finale. At the risk of making myself look like a wimp, I’d say that this is quite possibly the scariest movie I’ve ever seen. It can never take the place of classics like The Exorcist or any of Hitchcock’s masterpieces, but it certainly deserves a place beside them.
|
|
|
|
