Ringu (1998)

What to Expect

Ringu was such an influential horror movie for its time that it effectively kicked off a surge of original J-Horror that continues to this day, over 20 years after its release. It was followed by two sequels, Ringu 2 and Ringu 0, an American Remake, The Ring, and two remade sequels, The Ring 2 and Rings. These were followed by two more sequels, Sadako 3D and Sadako 3D 2. And then of course it had to follow in the footsteps of Freddy vs Jason Sadako vs Kayako (The Ring vs The Grudge). Ringu was based off a novel from 1991 and was first adapted to film in a made for TV movie released in Japan. The Ringu novel also had a sequel called Spiral and Loop. So, needless to say, this has been a seriously successful franchise. And for good reason, Ringu just works on so many levels. It has a deep plot, fantastic characters and a thick dreary atmosphere that seems to permeate every scene.