The Ring is a 2002 American supernatural horror film directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, David Dorfman, Brian Cox, and Daveigh Chase, with a screenplay by Ehren Kruger. It is a remake of Hideo Nakata’s Japanese horror film Ring, which was released in 1998 and was based on Koji Suzuki’s 1991 novel of the same name. Watts plays a journalist investigating a supposedly cursed videotape that kills the viewer seven days after seeing it.
The Ring opened in theatres on October 18, 2002, to largely positive reviews, including praise for the mood, graphics, and Watts’ performance. On a $48 million production budget, the picture grossed over $249 million worldwide, making it one of the most successful horror remakes. It is the first film of the English-language Ring series, which includes The Ring Two (2005) and Rings (2017).
The Ring paved the door for English-language adaptations of Asian horror films including The Grudge, Dark Water, Shutter, and The Eye.
Cast
- Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts)
- Aidan Keller (David Dorfman)
- Noah Clay (Martin Henderson)
- Samara Morgan (Daveigh Chase)
- Richard Morgan (Brian Cox)
- Anna Morgan (Shannon Cochran)
- Dr. Grasnik, played by Jane Alexander
- Ruth Embry is portrayed by Lindsay Frost.
- Katherine “Katie” Embry (Amber Tamblyn)
- Rebecca “Becca” Kotler (Rachael Bella)
- As the Innkeeper, Richard Lineback
- Beth (Pauley Perrette)
- Sara Rue works as a babysitter.
- Girl Teen #1: Sasha Barrese
- Girl Teen #2: Tess Hall
- Kellen is portrayed by Adam Brody (Male Teen)
- As Dave Embry, Michael Spound
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Plot
Many horror films lose their allure over time due to outmoded special effects, weird casting decisions, and artistic shifts. The Ring, on the other hand, remains one of the scariest films of all time, exactly as effective now as it was when it originally came out. That’s partly to the film’s blend of horror thrills and psychological depth — not to mention the unforgettable image of Samara crawling out of a television.
The Ring is about a lot of things, and the cursed videotape is merely the tip of the iceberg. Rachel Keller, an old-school reporter, asks tough questions that no one wants to answer. It’s about Samara, a murdered girl who may or may not be the embodiment of evil.
Above all, it’s about cruelty — the kind that reverberates through generations long after the offenders have been buried.
The Ring’s ending, however, remains groundbreaking to this day. Dropping a truly surprising surprise while maintaining form is a skill — one that has been imitated for many years after The Ring’s triumph. Here’s how The Ring ends, in case you didn’t get it.
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The Ring Ending Explained.
The film begins with Katie Embry and Becca Kotler, two friends, discussing the cursed cassette. Katie, unfortunately, admits to watching the video and is slain shortly after. She was found dead seven days after watching the videotape. Katie’s aunt Rachel is quick to investigate the incident, hoping to learn more about the cursed tape. Rachel is cursed and has seven days to rescue her life.
Noah is unexpectedly assassinated by the vengeful Samara, who is not liberated as predicted. To rescue himself, Samara plans to duplicate the cursed videotape and present it to someone else.
This is why Noah fell victim to Samara’s anger. Rachel, unlike Noah, is able to replicate the video. Aidan is shown the tape to watch.
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What Happened To Noah And Rachel?
While the horrifying truth about Samara being choked to death by Anna is revealed, it is revealed how Samara was thrown into the well and perished within seven days. Samara’s last vision was of a ring of sunlight around the well’s cap. While the authorities promise that Samara’s body will be buried so that she can leave this dimension, this never happens! Daveigh Chase, who played Samara, was actually afraid! The Ring’s official trailer is here.
Samara kills Noah when he unwittingly watches the cursed tape. Rachel and Aidan, unlike Noah, escape Samara’s fury. Samara appears to want to spread the violent footage, and Aidan was correct in saying that helping her was a mistake. The film finishes with a question that even Rachel couldn’t answer: who will see the cursed video next?
After Aidan, who will watch the Cursed Videotape?
While The Ring closes with Rachel asking Aidan to make another copy of the cursed videotape, it leaves a key question unanswered. Fans are left wondering who will be the next victim to watch the tape in order for Aidan to be spared. The film stops there, leaving an intriguing question.
The all-time hit horror film closes with a series of mysteries, one of which being why Aidan knows so much about Samara’s whereabouts. He told Rachel that Samara never sleeps. What happens to Samara’s physical form? Why isn’t her soul set free as expected if it was buried properly? The film spawned a slew of sequels and fan theories.