Ringu (Japan: Hideo Nakata, 1998)

Ringu (Japan: Hideo Nakata, 1998: 96 mins)

Who can forget the moment when the straggly haired Sadako climbs out of the TV set in Hideo Nakata’s unsettling ghost story? This urban legend about a cursed VHS tape provided the catalyst for the J-horror boom and has since spawned numerous sequels, reboots and crossovers. It’s a film that made the sound of a phone ringing absolutely terrifying; its meticulous rules stating that if you watch the tape, the phone will ring and you will die seven days later. Playing with Japanese folklore and based on the novel by Koji Suzuki, this modern update is a tense and scrupulous investigation of mortality. – Katherine McLaughlin

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