The Ring

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1:28

The Ring

PG-13

2002

1h 55m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

72%

Tomatometer

214 Reviews

48%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

It sounds like just another urban legend -- a videotape filled with nightmarish images leads to a phone call foretelling the viewer's death in exactly seven days. Newspaper reporter Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) is skeptical of the story until four teenagers all die mysteriously exactly one week after watching just such a tape. Allowing her investigative curiosity to get the better of her, Rachel tracks down the video and watches it. Now she has just seven days to unravel the mystery.

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Critics Consensus

With little gore and a lot of creepy visuals, The Ring gets under your skin, thanks to director Gore Verbinski's haunting sense of atmosphere and an impassioned performance from Naomi Watts.

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Keith Phipps

AV Club

07/25/2014

B+

Gore Verbinski creates an air of dread that begins with the first scene and never lets up, subtly incorporating elements from the current wave of Japanese horror films along the way.

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David Edelstein

Slate

07/25/2014

The filmmakers have wisely stayed close to the original's mood, which is somber and flat, with quick (near-subliminal) inserts and a soundtrack full of watery-grave groans and murmurs.

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Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

07/25/2014

An edgy, watchable film, but one that makes you feel more squeamish than screamish.

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Justin Brown

Medium Popcorn

Oct 22

3/5

The Noah death scene is worth the price of admission but it takes its sweet time getting there...It's a cool movie but is a bit of a chore to get through.

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Brandon Collins

Medium Popcorn

Oct 22

3/5

It has a few iconic horror scenes and a very specific vibe. But it left me with far more questions than answers and I'm not sure I care to learn what they are...A bit of a frustrating watch despite looking pretty cool.

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David Day

Horror Movie Talk

Sep 23

9/10

The tone of The Ring is deadly serious, and it lands just right in the quiet of your darkened home on a Friday night. It feels morose and hopeless and creepy beyond compare.

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Rebecca

10/24/2022

One of my favorite horror movies! I was excited to see it again in the theatre:)

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Holden F

@HOLDENF 4d

this is one of my favorite horror movies ever! WHY DOES THE AUDIENCE HAVE A 47%???!!! Anyway.... yea its great!

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Marie R

@RT75286863 May 19

I loved this movie so much and whish more movies were like this. The vibe is spooky but the tension is there. very good film.

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Blake- N

@PBSAniDom Apr 26

The Ring is a very effective horror film that still holds up as a chilling and atmospheric experience. It builds its fear slowly, relying more on tension and mood than constant jump scares, which makes it even more unsettling. What makes it stand out is how it creates a constant sense of unease from the beginning. The pacing is deliberate, but that works in its favor, letting the suspense build naturally. The visuals and sound design also add a cold, eerie tone that stays with you after the movie ends. It’s not just about shocks—it’s about lingering discomfort and curiosity, which is what makes it memorable as a horror film. Overall, it’s a solid, creepy watch that delivers on atmosphere more than anything else. I’d rate it a 7/10—a good horrifying movie experience that knows how to get under your skin.

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John G

@RT87419433 Apr 10

This is one of the scariest movies I've gotten all the way through. I'm no horror fan, so I'm not the intended audience. A simple jump scare will get me every time. My other favorite big scare movie would be the classic Psycho, but I'm not scared by the shower scene for some reason, so much as the revelation of Norman's mother in the basement, which, I can just see it now; it freaks me out every time. I was going to watch another Verbinski movie, A Cure for Wellness, and after I read a plot summary and realized that this was the director of The Ring, I thought maybe not. Maybe at noon on a sunny day with other people I could do it. I can't sit in a darkened room alone at night and watch a Verbinski horror movie without big trouble.

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Jay G

@jgreen739 Apr 1

personal fav of all time

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Gore Verbinski

Director

Naomi Watts

Rachel Keller

Martin Henderson

Noah

David Dorfman

Aidan

Brian Cox

Richard Morgan

Jane Alexander

Dr. Grasnik

The Ring: Official Clip - Samara Comes to You

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The Ring: Official Clip - What Did You Do To Her?

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The Ring: Official Clip - Into the Well

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The Ring: Official Clip - You Will Die in Seven Days

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The Ring: Official Clip - The Tape

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The Ring: Official Clip - Nose Bleed

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The Ring: Official Clip - Ferry Accident

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The Ring: Official Clip - Nightmare

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The Ring: Trailer 1

1:28

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Synopsis

It sounds like just another urban legend -- a videotape filled with nightmarish images leads to a phone call foretelling the viewer's death in exactly seven days. Newspaper reporter Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) is skeptical of the story until four teenagers all die mysteriously exactly one week after watching just such a tape. Allowing her investigative curiosity to get the better of her, Rachel tracks down the video and watches it. Now she has just seven days to unravel the mystery.

Director: Gore Verbinski
Producer: Walter F. Parkes, Laurie MacDonald
Screenwriter: Ehren Kruger, Scott Frank, Kôji Suzuki
Distributor: DreamWorks SKG
Production Co: DreamWorks SKG
Rating: PG-13 (Language|Disturbing Images|Some Drug References|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 18, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 4, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $128.6M
Runtime: 1h 55m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)