Is she still trapped in that dark place? Following the puzzling death of her niece Katie, journalist Rachel Keller begins looking into a local story about a video recording which is said to kill viewers after seven days. She faces serious danger if she can’t figure out what's going on.... This English-language adaptation of a well-regarded foreign horror movie has caused anxiety in many fans of the genre. When it was announced that Gore Verbinski would remake Hideo Nakata’s frightening and intense film, Ringu, the reaction among horror enthusiasts was similar to having something unpleasant done to your snacks. It's good news then that The Ring is a strong contender for best American remake and shows that remakes can occasionally be worthwhile. Naomi Watts (who delivers an excellent performance) plays Rachel, and Verbinski and writer Ehren Kruger (working from Kôji Suzuki’s novel) do a solid job of bringing the atmosphere of Nakata's film to a gloomy and unsettling Seattle. The movie gets under your skin through its atmosphere; after seeing the disturbing video itself, we find ourselves caught up in the race against time that Rachel is experiencing. As the mystery begins to unfold, and sadness looms, the story quickly changes course to introduce one of horror’s most brutal and cruel characters. It's the kind of effect that lingers when you are trying to sleep. Although the storyline has been simplified from its original form, The Ring still feels a bit too padded out. There’s a sense that Watts needed an overly complicated mission, and Verbinski almost ruins the core mystery of the plot. Thankfully, he pulls back to prevent anything silly from diminishing the unsettling feeling that had been created earlier. The conclusion works well, but it's not as intense as the original, and it may have something to do with Dream Works wanting a PG-13 rating. What remains is a truly suspenseful and disturbing thriller – or horror film. It continues to be unsettling even upon repeated viewings, keeping you on edge. It earned $80 million in America alone, guaranteeing that another installment would follow. But was that really a good idea? 8/10

Source on TMDB