Ring
There's so much to say about this movie, and I would never be able to do it justice no matter how much praise I give it. Ring is arguably the most iconic Japanese horror film of all time. Honestly, the only other J-horror film that I would say could even contend with it would be the original Godzilla from 1954, both in terms of historical importance and popularity, and for good reason. In my opinion, Ring's elite status within the genre is completely warranted. It is absolutely horrifying while still being smart, tightly written, and thematically rich.
The most apparent strength of the film upon revisiting it is its absolutely dread-inducing atmosphere. I've heard people complain that the film is too slow to really get under their skin, but both times I've viewed it I've been completely gripped from start to finish. The swirling, disorienting score and the unpolished look of the film do so much to enhance its horror. Even when there's nothing inherently scary on screen, the haunting atmosphere alone kept me feeling incredibly uncomfortable throughout. It's as if the film itself is cursed, haunted by something malevolent, even if it's unclear exactly what.
The imagery is the film is phenomenal too. There are so many memorable scares that stick with you long after the film is over. From the instantly iconic footage of the tape itself, to the distorted photos, to shots of Sadako in the background in reflections, to the strangely melancholic and gorgeous well scene, to the menacing eye shot which used to be the film's poster on Letterboxd for a time, all of it is so great. These moments work their way into your head and absolutely refuse to let go. There are so many striking scenes in Ring and they all pair so beautifully with the 'off' atmosphere of the whole film.
On top of being very genuinely frightening, Ring is also a very rich piece in terms of the themes that it tackles. Ring touches on themes of family, motherhood, sacrifice, the idea that spreading rumors can imbue these tales with life and truth, the haunting, lingering effects of grief, and the detriments of allowing children to be raised by media instead of active parenting all through its unique brand of horror that countless other films would try to emulate.
For as overused as the phrase is, Ring feels very liminal. There's this recurring motif of transitions throughout the film. Several scenes take place in the empty bedrooms of recently deceased loved ones. The entire plot focuses around a curse that is bound to a media format that was on its last legs when the film released. Said curse can only be broken by transfering it to someone else. It never stops. It just keeps cycling. Transition is a constant in the film. It all makes for a very unsettling watch for reasons that are hard to fully understand and articulate.
I really enjoyed Ring the first time I saw it, but it got even better on rewatch. Watching it alone in the dark late at night was genuinely hard to do because I felt so tense. Rarely do films affect me this much on my second viewing. Needless to say, Ring is an absolute horror classic and will likely be joining the ranks of my favorite horror films of all time.
10/10