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An American remake of a beloved J-Horror classic, 2002’s “The Ring” achieved the remarkable by becoming a well-respected classic in its own right.

This week’s Tubi Tuesday is an absolute classic from the early 2000s; a tale about a haunted video tape that causes whoever watches it to die seven days later. No, it’s not the J-Horror classic, Ringu, but rather the American remake, The Ring.

By the time we hit the 2000s, Freddy was dead, Jason had gone to hell, and Michael Myers was injected with acid by Paul Rudd.

The American horror world needed fresh ideas. So creators did the only logical thing: they started remaking Japanese horror films.

Directed by Gore Verbinksi, with an incredible score by Hans Zimmmer, The Ring and its magnificent execution is probably the reason the J-Horror remake explosion ended up being as big as it was.

This classic urban legend about the videotape that kills you seven days after you watch, as well as the hunt for the tape’s mysterious origins and the attempt to stop the curse from spreading, makes The Ring a progenitor for all the Creepypasta tales that exploded around the same time.

If The Ring had not been as successful as it was, it’s safe to assume we never would have gotten other J-Horror reboots like The Grudge, One Missed Call, and Pulse — or any of the many sequels and crossover films. Nor would we have Creepypasta adaptations like Slenderman and Polaroid.

Whether or not the presence of those other films is a blessing or a curse is definitely up for debate.

But most horror fans can agree that The Ring was a shining example of an American adaptation that actually does justice to the terrifying source material. 

A full 18 years later, The Ring is still as unsetting and truly horrifying as it was when it was first released.

Unlike other early 2000s movies, it is not dated by poor CGI, bad fashion, or a subpar soundtrack. Instead, it aged into a more sophisticated film altogether. When first released, it was compared to many of the standard teen-based horrors of the day like Scream and Final Destination. But as it ages, we discover it’s more appropriately compared to slow-burning, dread-inducing horror films like The Witch and Midsommar.

The film contains a grand total of three dead bodies, and only one of the deaths happens on-screen.

The entire film takes place between the two most important deaths of the movies, and it’s really a master class in tension building.

When the big twist happens — revealing that the ancient evil cannot be stopped and the soaking wet, long haired girl climbs out of the TV — the viewer is so far on the edge of their seat that they damn near fall off.

The classic symphonic score from Hans Zimmer also amplifies the dread and tension with cello and violin, giving the whole film a very Hitchcockian feel.

Whether you’ve seen the film ten times or haven’t seen it in 10 years, now is a great time check out this amazing horror film, streaming for free on Tubi. 

Overall Rating (Out of 5 Butterflies): 5

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