Ringu (1998)

“It spawned a raft of remakes, similar films and spoofs, and heralded an influential Japanese horror mythology that always seemed to involve young girls from watery places with lank hanks of black hair creeping up behind you with a weird creaky-groaning sound.” – The Guardian

“For the film itself, Ringu is most certainly 90s. That, surprisingly, isn’t a problem as many of the Japanese horror films I watch have a sort of 90s aesthetic. What I like about Ringu is cinematography that is solidly Japanese; unlike Western films, there is a clean, subdued quality to the scenes. When there is mention of violence — like ghosts Sadako’s murder and failed escape from the well — we see “clean gore” (broken or missing nails). The teenagers’ deaths are quite beautiful and not at all like the monstrous, zombified faces in the remake. The story is reserved and lets you experience the film at a safe distance while still having that unnerving feeling. Ringu doesn’t stray from the horrible, but instead is both eye-catching and morbid in a way that only a haunted VHS tape would be. You are physically unable to look away, entranced by the terrors on screen.” – Let’s Talk Terror