One of the more interesting pop culture trends at the turn of the millennia was the global popularity of what Western critics later dubbed "J-horror"—a specifically Japanese brand of supernatural horror genre inspired by traditional Japanese tales of ghosts and ancient curses. This trend resulted first in huge commercial successes of Japanese films on Eastern cinema and their popularity among sections of global horror fans, ultimately inspiring Hollywood to make a shift from the 1990s slasher film towards more atmospheric horror films, usually through Hollywood remakes of their Japanese counterparts. The Japanese film that is usually identified as starting this trend is Ring, the 1998 film directed by Hideo Nakata. Its influence cannot be overstated; it established the visual language of ghostly encounters that would dominate horror for the following decade, moving away from physical, visceral violence towards a psychological and atmospheric dread.
The film is based on the eponymous 1991 novel by Japanese author Koji Suzuki, which was the first in what was originally a trilogy, continuing with Spiral in 1995 and ending with Loop in 1999, and was later continued with a short story collection and two more novels. The books were an enormous success in Japan and have been adapted in manga comics, television series, and video games, not counting various South Korean and Hollywood adaptations through the decades. The 1991 novel was actually first adapted in 1995 as a television film, which is relatively obscure due to its lack of international distribution. It was Nakata's cinematic vision, however, that captured the imagination of the world.
Ring, or "Ringu," is the original Japanese title under which it is known in the West to set it apart from Hollywood’s 2002 eponymous remake. It was directed by Hideo Nakata, a Japanese director who would emerge as the most successful author of J-horror. The screenplay by Hiroshi Takahashi has made significant changes to the source materials. While Suzuki’s novel is a complex tapestry that blends science fiction with horror, exploring concepts of genetic engineering and future technology, the screen adaptation streamlined these elements. This was likely done to maintain the film’s low budget, but it proved to be a beneficial move. By stripping away the science fiction elements, the screenwriter allowed the supernatural elements to breathe, focusing instead on the immediacy of the threat.
The plot begins with two school students—Tomoko Oishi (Yuko Takeuchi), and Masami Hurahashi (Hitomi Sato)—who are best friends. During a sleepover, they discuss an urban legend about a cursed videotape that kills anyone who watches its content after seven days. Tomoko admits to watching the mysterious tape, and after receiving a strange phone call, she is subsequently killed by a mysterious figure. Tomoko’s aunt is Reiko Asakawa (Nananko Matsiushima), a newspaper reporter who is determined to discover the truth behind her niece’s unexpected death. Her investigation leads her to reports of similar mysterious deaths, possibly connected to the video tape. During the investigation, Reiko sees the mysterious tape and becomes convinced that she will too die after seven days. In order to break the curse, she enlists the help of her former husband, Ryuchi Takayama (Hiroyuki Sanada), a university professor with latent psychic powers. Their quest becomes even more important after Reiko catches her young son watching the tape and possibly becoming affected by the curse. The cryptic details on the tape lead Reiko and Ryuchi to the volcanic island of Oshima. There, they learn that decades ago, a local woman named Shizuko Yamamura (Masako), with alleged psychic abilities was denounced as a charlatan, leading to her suicide. Shizuko had a daughter named Sadako (Rie Ino), who actually had the ability to kill people with her will. Dr. Heichahiro Ikuma (Daisuke Ban), a psychic researcher and Shizuko’s lover, had Sadako thrown down a well, and the curse is the result of her vengeful spirit imprinting itself on the tape.
The general premise of Ring blends traditional Japanese ghost stories with modern Japan’s obsession with technology. The old urban legend about chain letters is given a fresh variation through the use of video tapes, making the medium of television itself a conduit for the supernatural. This juxtaposition is key to the film's effectiveness; it suggests that technology, which was supposed to connect us, can also isolate us and deliver death.
The film is relatively simple, but effective, relying a lot on the relatively banal settings of modern Japan, its media, and everyday objects like television sets, VCRs, or telephones that become tools of supernatural evil. The result is a very unsettling and scary film that relies a lot on atmosphere and creeping dread rather than shock tactics or graphic violence. Much of the dread comes from the incomprehensible nature of the evil the protagonists are faced with and the irrationality, which is often the most effective source of fear in horror films. This approach would later be implied in Hollywood, and Nakata would ultimately direct Ring 2, a sequel that represented a direct sequel to the Hollywood remake of Ring, following the pattern established by his original work.
If there is a flaw in the film, it is in its somewhat abrupt ending, which could be interpreted as a cliffhanger. This is mainly due to the producers’ decision to make Ring back-to-back with its sequel Spiral, which was directed by George Iida and released near simultaneously with Ring. Spiral failed to repeat the success of Ring and was later mostly ignored by the rest of the franchise. In 1999, Nakata directed Ring 2, which represented the direct sequel to Ring. While the lack of a definitive conclusion might frustrate some viewers, it also leaves a lingering sense of unease that perfectly encapsulates the film's thematic concerns.
The cast is very good, although Hiroyuki Sanada is the only member who would be instantly recognisable to a global audience due to his appearance in Hollywood and Western films during the later stages of his career. Nanako Matsushima delivers a strong performance as Reiko, anchoring the film with a grounded, maternal desperation that makes her quest for the truth deeply personal. Yuko Takeuchi effectively portrays the initial victim, Tomoko, in a way that makes her death feel sudden and tragic rather than just a plot device. The supporting cast provides solid work, grounding the supernatural elements in believable human reactions.
Although perhaps not the unquestionable masterpiece many of its supporters claim to be, Ring is a very good film that deserves recommendations for horror fans not just for the quality of the filmmaking itself, but for the important role it had in redefining the genre. It demonstrated that a slow-burn, psychologically terrifying narrative could be a massive hit, influencing Hollywood productions like the 2002 remake, which attempted to translate this atmospheric dread into the American context. While the 2002 version may have added gloss and more conventional scare tactics, the 1998 original remains great example of the power of suggestion and the terror of the mundane, proving that the scariest things are often the ones that we cannot see or understand.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
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