Ringu (1998)

Although unsurprisingly superior to its American remake (that itself is surprisingly passable) of 2002, Hideo Nakata’s original still suffers somewhat from not being particularly terrifying. There are many that will vehemently dispute that claim; Ringu is held in very high regard amongst horror aficionados. Reporter Reiko is investigating the emergence of a supposedly cursed videotape that may have led to death of her niece Tomoko, and ends up watching said tape, leading to a race against time to try and discover the source of the tape, with the help of her ex-husband. Ringu is well made, and has a DIY sensibility to it that does result in some effective tension. It almost feels nostalgic watching something in which VHS tapes are used in such volume, and it actually works rather well as an investigative thriller. By the time Ring reaches its conclusion you’re still waiting for it to become truly terrifying though, and despite the fact that there are one or two scenes that some will find eerie, it lacks the truly creepy moments that many believe are indeed there. 6.7/10