In 2002, The Ring was released and achieved tremendous success at the box office. The film undoubtedly became one of cinema’s most successful horror films. It would have been truly magnificent if they had left it at that, but Americans can’t sit still and always want to make a sequel. Unfortunately, The Ring 2, released in 2005, was not as successful as the first one and somewhat overshadowed its predecessor. The only advantage of the second film was its focus on Samara’s story and providing some background information. It was also nice to see Naomi Watts on the screen again. Twelve years later, they resurrected Samara once more. Although the film was completed in 2015, it wasn’t released until 2017. Whether it turned out good or bad, we will understand with time; the film needs time to settle people’s minds.
Rings starts with fast-paced action. We encounter Samara, who declares, “I won’t let my victims escape,” even on an airplane. We also witness that Samara can now harvest her victims collectively, not individually. The story then shifts to Julia, who sends her boyfriend to college. Shortly after sending him off, Julia starts to lose contact with him. Curious and concerned, Julia goes to the university and learns that her boyfriend has been exposed to Samara’s tape. And she embarks on a quest to save him.
Rings is based on a much more intricate story. While the first film focused on the efforts of someone trying to escape the tape’s curse, the third film reveals that the tape has spread more widely than previously believed. Hollywood loves to spread its stories from the singular to the general. REC and Resident Evil suffered the same fate. Similarly, Rings follows a logical progression, spreading the tape to the world. However, it doesn’t have the same poorly written scripts as the aforementioned films. The story, in my opinion, remains consistent and engaging; it keeps you hooked as you watch it unfold.
We learned about the tape’s existence in the first film, while the second film focused on Samara’s backstory. The third film, however, takes us back even further in Samara’s history. The film feels more like a mysterious journey in the theme of Silent Hill rather than a horror film. The element of horror is much less prominent than I initially thought. The film revolves around investigation and unraveling the events, preserving its mystery until the end. As I mentioned before, it has an average screenplay that doesn’t bore the audience. Moreover, the direction is equally successful. It is a film that doesn’t tire you out, moves at a brisk pace, and keeps you engaged.
While I am delighted by Samara’s return, I still wonder whether it was a good or bad decision to make this film. It was definitely an enjoyable film to watch, that’s for certain. If you’re looking to watch a horror film filled with mystery and suspense over the weekend, and if you miss the chilling gaze from between Samara’s hair, then by all means, step into the world of the silver screen.
Cast & Crew
director: F. Javier Gutiérrez
writers: Akiva Goldsman, David Loucka, Jacob Aaron Estes
starring: Matilda Lutz, Alex Roe, Johnny Galecki, Vincent D’Onofrio
USA | 2017 | 102 MINUTES |