If you ask the millennials in your life, those at the younger age of the generation will likely be able to tell you where they were the first time their home phone (that’s right, not a cellphone, because most of us didn’t have one at that time) rang after they sawGore Verbinski’sThe Ring. Or maybe it’s just me, but that’s trauma for ya, folks! The terrifying movie first arrived in cinemas in 2002 and kept the scary vibes of the year going, alongside other favorites like28 Days LaterandCabin Fever. And right now, the movie that traumatized so many of us (again, just me?) more than two decades ago is now streaming on Peacock.
Immediately setting the vibes, the entire color scheme ofThe Ringis bleak and dismal, like a cold, colorless winter day - the vibrancy of life iscompletely stripped away from the design, only adding to the unsettling elements. In the movie,Naomi Wattsstars as Rachel Keller, a journalist who has been tasked by her sister to look into the seemingly supernatural death of her niece. During her investigation, Rachel uncovers talk of a possessed videotape that results in the viewer dying a gruesome death seven days after they watch it. After viewing the tape herself, Rachel’s time is ticking to get to the bottom of the strange and eerie event.
While Watts certainly carries the bulk ofThe Ringon her shoulders, viewers will also spot a handful of familiar faces working their way into the supporting cast. Names likeBrian Cox(Succession),Martin Henderson(Virgin River), andDavid Dorfman(The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) all play integral roles in the unraveling of the cursed VHS tape. Not only didThe Ringcaptivate and terrify audiences thanks to its unlikely plotline, but it also ushered in a new wave of genre hype as it served as a remake of theHideo Nakata-helmed 1998 film of the same name. Seeing the dollar signs and piqued audience interest, studios gave the greenlight to a slew of other American remakes of popular Japanese horror films, with movies likeThe Grudge,Dark Water,Pulseand more to arrive in the next few years.
Gore Verbinski Solidifies His Career with ‘The Ring’
Ahead ofThe Ring, Verbinski had already celebrated his arrival as a filmmaker through two successful films,MousehuntandThe Mexican, but the supernatural horror flick certainly showed that he wasn’t a one-trick pony. In the more than two decades since his take on the celebrated Japanese horror story came out, Verbinski’s name has hopped across genres and become synonymous with thePirates of the Caribbeanfranchise. Moving from live-action to animation, the director’s work behind 2012’sRangowas the push he needed to nab an Academy Award.
If you’ve never used a VHS player, thenThe Ringmight not pack the same punch that it did for the rest of us, but you can now head over to Peacock to stream the spine-chilling feature.
A journalist must investigate a mysterious videotape that seems to cause the death of anyone one week to the day after they view it.
WATCH ON PEACOCK
