Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Movie Review: The Ring


The Ring (2002)

Directed by Gore Verbinkski

Starring Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson

Rating: C+

            I had high expectations for this film, or low depending on how you look at it. I do not like horror films and I was told this is one of the best, and therefore I was dreading watching it. This film was selected for me to watch by Mike as part of an attempt to get me caught up on scary movies that I have not seen (in addition to all the other movies that I have not seen). However, while watching the movie I wondered if Mike loaned me the movie so I would die. The characters that watch the ring tape all die within seven days. I started counting the days until my death, but then I realized that Mike has seen the movie and he’s still alive…
            I enjoyed this movie as much as one can enjoy a movie with a dark mystery, a scary apparition, an insane asylum, and creepy children. It was more of a suspense thriller than the kind of horror movie I was anticipating. There were moments when I didn’t want to watch anymore, but the movie mostly had my eyes glued to the screen. I also enjoyed that this movie was a sort of highbrow horror film with numerous small details that all add up to disturbing facts. The average viewer wouldn’t have to catch all of the subtleties to understand the movie or even enjoy it, but it certainly gave me a lot to think about during and after the film. Some of those things I thought about were the motivations of the characters. I guess this is typical of a horror movie, wondering why someone is running up the stairs when there is an axe-wielding maniac on the chase (not in The Ring, but something I come to expect horror movies). In this movie and in many others I wonder why the characters investigate really creepy sounds when they know they’ll lead to their doom. In The Ring I also wondered why the mother would leave the evil video tape where anyone can get to it and watch it, and since it has to continue in existence why not just label it “watch at your own risk” or “view this and die.” Many people would probably think those are snarky warnings and watch anyway, but at least they were warned.

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