Adapted from the 1998 Japanese movie, “Ringu”, the 2002 film, “The Ring”, brings Japanese horror to America. The four main actors in this movie are: Naomi Watts as Racle Keller, Daveigh Chase as Samara Morgan, Martin Henderson as Noah Clay and David Dorfman as Aidan Keller.
The film follows an investigative reporter, Rachel Keller, who investigates an urban legend after four teenagers die. The urban legend surrounds a videotape that kills the viewer seven days after watching it. After seeing the tape, she now only has seven days to uncover the truth. Will she be able to do it, or will the ring make her fall too soon?
Released on Oct. 18, 2002, “The Ring” earned $15,015,393 in its opening weekend. Worldwide, the film has made approximately $249,000,000.
Due to psychological and suggestive horror elements, the film is rated PG-13.
The public can purchase the movie on streaming services, including Xfinity. It is also available for free on Peacock.
Key Characters
Four characters play a pivotal role in the film. These characters are: Rachel Keller, Samara Morgan, Noah Clay and Aidan Keller.
Rachel Keller is the protagonist of the film, a journalist who becomes tangled in the curse after trying to break the urban legend.
On the other hand, Samura Morgan is the antagonist of the film. She is the ghost who possesses the power of nensha (the psychic ability to put images into minds). When she was alive, her uncontrollable powers ultimately led to her murder by her adoptive parents and a seven-day struggle to survive in a well. As a ghost, she would like to be heard, which causes a cursed videotape to spread her image and kill those who watch it within 7 days.
While these characters are the focal point of the film, two other characters that play a key role are Aidan Keller and Noah Clay. Aidan Keller is a mature young boy with an unusual and psychic demeanor. He acts as a channel for Morgan’s influence because of his abilities and his proximity to the tape.
Additionally, Noah Clay plays an important role in the film. He is Keller’s ex-boyfriend and the biological father of Aidan. He helps Keller investigate the urban legend.
The Japanese urban Legend “The Ring” is based on
The film is based on the legend of Okiku. She was a 17th-century servant whose samurai master killed her and threw her into a well.
As a ghost, she became vengeful and haunts the well. She does so by counting plates, only to let out a horrific scream when she can’t find the tenth one.
Overall thoughts
Before watching “The Ring”, I was apprehensive because I don’t typically enjoy horror films. While watching. I noticed that the movie had a lot of psychological horror, from the horrific imagery on the videotape to the growing suspense throughout the film.
From the beginning of the movie, the director builds up tension slowly, with each scene adding something new to the story. From the first scene, the film drags viewers into a horrific masterpiece.
“The acting was mid.” Said Melissa Abrams, an English teacher at Colonia High School.
Disagreeing with Abrams, I felt that the acting was good, with Watts, Chase, and Dorfman delivering outstanding performances. Watt’s portrayal of Keller adds a touch of emotion. In addition, her character has a sense of intensity, drawing viewers in.
I felt that Henderson’s portrayal of Keller’s son is outstanding. His character adds an unsettling feel to the story. Being forced to grow up too soon, I felt that his character added a creepy tone to the movie.
Although Chase’s character did not have much screen time, I felt that her portrayal of Morgan shows a revolution in horror films, balancing her character’s nature, a scared little girl while alive, and a vengeful ghost when dead.
Although there were many elements of the film I enjoyed, I felt like the film as a whole could have been a bit scarier. I understand that there is a lot of psychological horror, but I would have preferred more jump scares.
I thought that this was the perfect movie for someone who doesn’t like horror films but would like to see a movie for Halloween.
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