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Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, David Dorfman, Brian Cox, Jane Alexander ... see more see more... , Lindsay Frost , Pauley Perrette , Amber Tamblyn , Rachael Bella , Sara Rue , Shannon Cochran , Daveigh Chase , Alan Blumenfeld , Keith Campbell , Gary Cervantes , Joseph Chrest , Art Frankel , Chuck Hicks , Ronald William Lawrence , Richard Lineback , Coleen Maloney , Catherine Paolone , David Povall , Michael Spound , Aixa Clemente , Sasha Barrese , Joe Sabatino , Adam Brody , Sandra Thigpen , Joanna Lin Black , Stephanie Erb , Tess Hall , Billy Lloyd , Maura McNamara , Lindsey Stoddart , Guy Richardson , Carl Brisson , Lilian Hall Davis , Ian Hunter , Forrester Harvey , Gordon Harker , Harry Terry , Charles Farrell , Clare Greet , Tom Helmore , Bombardier Billy Wells

A disturbing videotape appears to hold the power of life and death over those who view it in this offbeat thriller. A strange videotape begins making the rounds in a town in the Pacific Northwest; it ... read more read more...is full of bizarre and haunting images, and after watching it, many viewers receive a telephone call in which they are warned they will die in seven days. A handful of teenagers who watched the tape while spending a weekend at a cabin in the mountains scoff at the threat, but as predicted, they all die suddenly on the same night. Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts), the aunt of one of the ill-fated teens, is a journalist who has decided to investigate the matter and travels West with her young son, Aidan (David Dorfman), a troubled child who has been drawing pictures of strange and ominous visions. Rachel managed to find the cabin in the woods and watches the video herself; afterward, she receives the same phone call, and realizes she must solve the puzzle of the video and the person or persons behind it within a week. Rachel turns to her ex, Noah (Martin Henderson), an expert in video technology, who at first is convinced the story is a hoax until he digs deeper into the mystery. The Ring was adapted from a 1996 Japanese film by Hideo Nakata, which became a massive box-office success in Asia and spawned two sequels. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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50% liked it

30,975,340 ratings

Critics

71% liked it

180 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 49 min.

Directed by: Gore Verbinski

Release Date: October 18, 2002

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DVD Release Date: March 4, 2003

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Stats: 1,228,485 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,228,485)

  • superclerk25
    March 19, 2012
    superclerk25
    scary
  • fb223580
    January 5, 2012
    fb223580
    The plot was intriguing but so damn scary! Friend and I left halfway through the movie when we were teenagers... security guard took pity on us and let us out at the top of the stairs though he wasn't supposed to.
  • wildaly14
    December 20, 2011
    wildaly14
    I hate horror movies.
  • fb100000145236770
    December 18, 2011
    fb100000145236770
    Over the last 10 years the horror genre has seen many different cycles. Torture, slasher remakes, and Asian import remakes are the main three categories of the last decade. "The Ring" is a remake of an Asian movie called "Ringu". Its about Rachel(Naomi Watts) whose niece just ... read moredied and is supposedly because she watched a disturbing videotape. She then watches the tape, and has seven days to figure out the secrets of the tape, or she and her son(he watched the tape too)will die. I don't think I've seen the original, but honestly, this is such a well done horror movie, I don't need to. The best three horror movies of the last ten years would be "Saw", "High Tension", and "The Ring". When this first came out, I know people that were literally terrified(my brother Justin being one of them). Nothing had been shown(at least here in America) quite like this. It had a great story, crazy looking images, and the scariest little girl ever. Naomi Watts was great and this was really her breakthrough role. Eight years later, "The Ring" is just as effective as it was when it first came out. Want a good horror flick it to watch, then revisit this gem of a movie. Never seen it? I dare you to give it a shot;-)
  • aquateen2
    October 30, 2011
    aquateen2
    The scariest film i've ever seen. It's good to see an American psychological horror film rather than the overdose of slashers, vampires, werewolves and zombies we see in modern horror films. The American Remake of Ring is faithful and thrilling however as good as it is. I will ne... read morever watch it again.
  • spielberg00
    October 18, 2011
    spielberg00
    THE RING is surely not a faithful adaptation of the Japanese psychological horror novel (Ringu) by Koji Suzuki, but there's where we have two things to face: a) what good film is absolutely faithful?; and b) the 1998 Japanese adaptation (RINGU) was not that faithful either... read more (come on, now: the protagonist in the novel was male, and in the film she was a woman!), so whoever is saying that this is America screwing it all up, it goes the same for Japan, y'know. 'Nuff said about how Japan and the U.S.A have equally muffed up a good work of horror.

    Naomi Watts has a great role in this (as the lead protagonist!), and she never did anything this great until her faithful portrayal of Ann Darrow in Peter Jackson's remake of KING KONG. (Hands down.) Pauley Perrette, who a year later made her breakthrough role as Abby Sciuto on TV's NCIS, also delivers a solid performance as supporting character Beth. And for a kid, David Dorfman does a frighteningly believable and sometimes creepy (though not as much as Samara, otherwise known as the Girl in the Well) job as Aidan. I applaud all three of them.

    Gore Verbinski, who later came to highest fame with RANGO and the first three PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN films, was a wise choice for a director. Someone like George A. Romero (dir. NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and THE CRAZIES) would have set the horror to a gore-fest level; and someone like Frank Darabont (dir. THE MIST and THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION) would have set it to an Stephen King level that would be considered too overdone for a psychological horror film like this. Mr. Verbinski, though, puts it just right in the zone, making the mood creepy, but not ridiculous.

    If you want a good film to watch on Halloween, and you want more an "in-your-head" film rather than a slasher film, rent THE RING. It's enjoyable, thrilling, and well-done, and it may just be one of the ten best horror films of the new millennium. (So far.)
  • fb729949618
    September 24, 2011
    fb729949618
    One of the scariest movies i've ever seen.
  • DreamExtractor
    September 1, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    The Ring is a very scary movie and a classic. The plot is intense and never dies down to be one of my favorite horror films. the cast did well and the little boy is very memorable. The horror on a scale of 1 to 10 is about an 8, but to be fair the only 9 I have given is Saw an... read mored Drag me To Hell, and the 10 i have given is the original Halloween. This movie is very dumb at times however, but still is a great horror film.
  • fb100002090596996
    June 28, 2011
    fb100002090596996
    If you say this movie is scary, then there is something wrong with you. The story is great, so was the acting... so why did I give this 2.5 stars? Well, technically, this is considered a Horror Film. This "horror" film is more of a thriller than anything else... even though it ha... read mores bizarre horror elements. Why? It wasn't scary. The only thing that scarred me was the fact that millions of people were scared for... THIS? People twice my age... people three times my age were scarred of this junk?! Good lord almighty... what world are we living in. I do give this movie kudos for the great story it had though, but it still wasn't scary, no matter what they say.
  • blkbomb
    June 2, 2011
    blkbomb
    The Ring is easily one of the best horror movies of the 21st century. It's creepy, suspenseful, and at times scary. Gore Verbinski did a hell of a job with this movie and really shows how versatile he is. I love Naomi Watts in her role and can't think of anybody else playing Rach... read moreel. I really don't understand some of the negative feedback this movie has gotten. True horror fans will absolutely love this movie.

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Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum
May 29, 2011
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

It's a treasure hunt reduced to isolated jolts and more clues than you can shake a stick at (every fly on the wall and child's drawing bristles with unholy significance), and an utter waste of Watts. Full Review

Todd McCarthy
January 2, 2009
Todd McCarthy, Variety

A stylish Hollywood remake of the Japanese horror sensation that unfortunately has little personality of its own. Full Review

David Ansen
November 1, 2007
David Ansen, Newsweek

Elegantly shot by Bojan Bazelli and designed by Tom Duffield, with a chilling Hans Zimmer score, this visually stunning movie serves up generous dollops of designer creepiness. Full Review

Andrew Sarris
November 6, 2002
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer

I found The Ring moderately absorbing, largely for its elegantly colorful look and sound. Full Review

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
October 26, 2002
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The boo! factor is waaaay up there -- a nine on a scale of 10. But the makes-sense factor is something like a three, at best. Full Review

Joe Baltake
October 25, 2002
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

Successfully envelops us in a disturbing experience. Full Review

Peter Travers
October 24, 2002
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Creeps you out in high style, even if Nakata did it better.

Richard Roeper
October 21, 2002
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper

It's the kind of effectively creepy-scary thriller that has you fixating on a far corner of the screen at times because your nerves just can't take it any more. Full Review

Stephen Hunter
October 18, 2002
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

The creepiest, clammiest, twitchiest squealfest in months.

Claudia Puig
October 18, 2002
Claudia Puig, USA Today

At times, the suspense is palpable, but by the end there's a sense that the crux of the mystery hinges on a technicality that strains credulity and leaves the viewer haunted by the waste of potential. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Dr. Grasnik: See, when you live on an island you catch a cold, it's everybody's cold.
    • Rachel Keller: No offense, ma'am, but what the hell does that mean?
    • Dr. Grasnik: It means ever since that girl's been gone, things have been better.
    • Doctor: You don't want to hurt anyone.
    • Samara: But I do, and I'm sorry, it won't stop.
    • Katie: Becca, quit it!
    • Samara: Here we go, the world is spinning. When it stops, it's just beginning. Sun comes up, we all laugh. Sun goes down, we all die...
    • Rachel Keller: I think before you die, you see the ring...
    • Samara: [singing by the well] Here we go, the world is spinning. When it stops, it's just beginning. Sun comes up, we all laugh. Sun goes down, we all die...
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The Ring Trivia

  • Which Lord of the Rings movie does the following quote come from and which character said it? "I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone"  Answer »
  • What is the name that Peter Parker gave to the ring announcer when he entered the wrestling contest (it wasn't the name that he will later make famous)?  Answer »
  • in the movie 'the ring' what actually is the ring  Answer »
  • Which movie has this tagline : " Before you die, you see the ring " ?  Answer »
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